Justin Simmons Hypes Young Broncos' S Caden Sterns
In this story:
The Denver Broncos may have re-signed safety Kareem Jackson, but that doesn't mean there won't be competition for the starting job next to Justin Simmons. Jackson has locked down that strong safety job for the past four years, but with Sean Payton now calling the shots in Denver, all bets are off.
The Broncos let Jackson languish on the free-agent market for months and didn't ultimately bring him back until after the draft when the team selected safety JL Skinner in the sixth round. Leading up to that point, the belief was that third-year safety Caden Sterns would be given the first right of refusal at winning the starting job next to Simmons.
Sterns, who missed most of last season with a hip injury, is battling back and holding his own so far at Broncos OTAs.
“Caden has looked really good," Simmons said last Thursday. "Obviously, I know he missed most of the season last year with the injury but he’s been rehabbing hard. He’s been taking care of his body really well."
The Broncos are assimilating a new defensive scheme, really, for the first time in four years. Even under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero last year, the system was basically the same one Vic Fangio established for the three seasons prior.
With Vance Joseph calling the defense now, Sterns is having to manage a bit of a learning curve as well as his rehabilitation.
"It’s been fun out there communicating with each other and figuring things out," Simmons said, "obviously, with the new scheme that ‘VJ’ [Vance Joseph] is bringing and things like that. So Caden’s been great. He looks great and I’m excited for him.”
While Simmons has said all the right things about Jackson's return, the Broncos are likely looking to turn the page and find a permanent successor. After all, Jackson is 35 years old.
Before Jackson could be re-signed, it required a sit-down with Payton to discuss what his role would be with the Broncos in 2023. That would imply that there were, perhaps, some stipulations.
"Actually, I met with Sean—had a chance to meet with him in person—and we talked about a lot of things," Jackson said last month on the Up & Adams Podcast. "Obviously, [we] talked about the season, talked about what it would look like with me coming back, and that kind of sealed the deal for me. And the rest is history."
In that same conversation with host Kay Adams, Jackson had recounted his ruminations on possibly re-signing with the Houston Texans, knowing that it would be in a reserve/mentor-type role. The Texans ultimately went a different direction, but it would seem that that's how the NFL might view Jackson now.
“He’s experienced and he’s got really good instincts," Payton said of Jackson. "At his age, it’s impressive he’s been healthy. Then you look at pitch count, what’s the vision and all of those things. That was exciting for us and for him."
Payton throwing around verbiage like "pitch count" and questioning what the "vision" is for Jackson, it implies that he could be used as a rainy-day resource. Jackson is a savvy, experienced vet, and a guy any team would be blessed to have in a pinch, but he has lost a step and isn't the same in coverage as he once was. And his tackling has become unreliable in recent seasons in Denver.
So if Jackson was open to a mentor-type of role with Houston, it's probable that he'd accept something similar to return to Denver for a fifth season. That's not to say that Denver is fixing to hand Sterns a starting job. He'll have to earn it.
But Sterns has flashed since arriving in Denver as a 2021 fifth-round pick. He's appeared in 20 games with five career starts, totaling four interceptions and nine pass break-ups, to go along with 49 tackles.
Sterns has shown a propensity for the ball. And considering that Denver finished 14th in takeaways last year, Sterns' skill set is one that Coach Joseph likely won't take for granted.
And if things don't pan out with Sterns, whether it's due to a setback in his recovery, or a failure to launch, and no one else steps up to take the reins, again, Jackson will come in handy. Even if Jackson isn't a day-one starter this year, the value he brings as a leader, mentor, and coach on the field is immense.
Still, listening to Simmons, perhaps Broncos fans would be unwise to write Jackson off this early in the game. He's a guy very comfortable being overlooked — like a stealth missile flying under the radar to suddenly detonate right in your teeth.
"Kareem, I feel like—I’ve said it time and time again—I think he’s one of the most underrated players," Simmons said. "I think, especially when we’re talking about what we do and how we do it on the defensive end, so it’s huge having Kareem back.”
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
