Report: Broncos Starter Undergoing MRI for Pectoral Injury

Denver Broncos starting safety Brandon Jones is "believed" to have suffered a pectoral injury in Sunday's win over the Packers and will undergo further testing to determine its severity, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday.

No further details regarding Jones' status have been released as of this writing.

#Broncos standout S Brandon Jones is believed to have suffered a pec injury and is having an MRI, source says. One of Denver’s most underrated players, Jones has emerged as key part of that defense with 78 tackles.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 15, 2025

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Essentially an every-down player since joining the Broncos in 2024, Jones has notched 78 combined tackles (43 solo), seven pass deflections, and an interception across 14 appearances this season, grading out as Pro Football Focus' No. 52 safety among 98 qualifiers.

“No. 1, he’s extremely smart," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Jones in September. "He’s a real diligent… Like he can overtrain sometimes. Football is important to him. When you put two people together that have like personalities relative to how important the game is and that are smart, especially at the safety position, I think it makes your defense better.”

Jones recorded four total tackles prior to departing against Green Bay.

Next Man Up

After leaving the game, Jones was replaced in the lineup by seventh-year veteran P.J. Locke, who finished with one tackle and a pass deflection amid Denver's 34-26 victory in Week 15.

Locke would be in line to start in place of Jones if the latter cannot go for Sunday's home matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Good. I thought real well, real well," Payton said of Locke's performance against Green Bay. "He has played a lot of football.”

Huf Reacts to Playoff Berth

Jones' partner-in-crime, S Talanoa Hufanga, remarked after defeating the Packers that the interconference battle felt like a playoff contest at Empower Field at Mile High.

“The cool thing about the fans is that you could argue that it’s playoffs every game, just the way the fans go," he told reporters. "But to me, it was just another regular-season game that was a must-win for both teams. We went out there and proved ourselves right.”

Hufanga delighted in Denver becoming the first AFC club to clinch a postseason spot in 2025. But, like the rest of his teammates, he also acknowledged there are much bigger fish still left to fry — and potentially Super aspirations to fulfill.

“That’s always the goal," he said. "Honestly, I can’t tell you what the future holds, it’s just one week at a time. So next week we got a good team in Jacksonville, and we got to go out there and prove it again.”