Broncos Promoting S P.J. Locke to 53-Man Roster, per Report

The Denver Broncos' active roster sits at 49 players in the wake of another massive bite from the injury bug. With players like Courtland Sutton, Dre'Mont Jones, DeMarcus Walker, and Mark Barron going on injured reserve, the Broncos had to scratch out some new roster math to get back to 53.

Veteran quarterback Blake Bortles will account for one of those four open spots as soon as he passes through all the COVID-19 testing protocols and now we know that safety P.J. Locke will take up another. 9NEWS' Mike Klis reported on Thursday morning that the Broncos are promoting Locke to the 53-man roster off the practice squad.

Locke joined the Broncos late last season as a practice squad signing after he'd spent the majority of his rookie year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Going undrafted out of Texas, he signed with Pittsburgh where he would compete on the Steelers practice squad.

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Head coach Vic Fangio and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell know safeties and the long-time coaching duo has the prototype for what that position should look like in this scheme. Locke fits the bill.

At 5-foot-10, 202 pounds, Locke is a scrappy and physical defensive back who can step in and offer depth on defense and impact on special teams. The Broncos gameday-activated him in Week 1 vs. the Tennessee Titans where he would chip in on special teams.

The Broncos have one of the best safety tandems in the league in Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Behind them are Trey Marshall and Duke Dawson but the former is a little banged up with a hip and wrist injury. Locke's presence gives Denver a little insurance on Sunday with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming to town.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.