Fangio Says 'No' to Giving Broncos Rookie S Caden Sterns Base-Defense Snaps

The Broncos seem to have a rising star at safety so wouldn't it behoove the team to use him more on defense?

Denver Broncos fifth-round rookie safety Caden Sterns was only featured on seven defensive plays in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens but despite the limited action, he made the most of the opportunity. He broke up a pass and notched a pair of sacks on Lamar Jackson. 

Sterns' performance provided a stark contrast to the struggles of Broncos' starting safeties Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, both of whom got their wires crossed on an ugly 49-yard touchdown relinquished to Marquise Brown.

Sterns has received considerable hype since training camp on the heels of his rapid assimilation to the pro game and given Sunday’s strong showing, the calls are only getting louder to hand the 21-year-old more than just a handful of snaps per game. 

On Monday, head coach Vic Fangio provided a rather sharp “No” in reply to a press question asking whether Sterns could be in line for a bigger role in the Broncos' base defense. For now, Sterns’ future appearances will come as the No. 3 safety in Fangio's dime sub-package where he'll continue to be used in exotic blitz packages and spot duty.

Despite Fangio’s gruff response, he is certainly fully aware of the splashy impact the rookie is having when he is put in a position to succeed.

“He was put in some good positions yesterday, and he came through with the tackles on the quarterback for the sacks,” Fangio said on Monday. “As we all know, that’s not an easy guy to tackle, and he got that done. The more impressive play was the breakup down the field when he was scrambling out there. That was a great play.”

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For his part, Sterns is okay with taking an auxiliary role for now as he soaks in everything he can from watching Simmons and Jackson play. 

“The two safeties we have are the best in the league and I’ll argue with anybody who says differently," Sterns said on Wednesday. "Again, my job is just to support them and be ready if something were to happen. Other than that, my role is to play dime and I’m going to do that 100%.”

Due to injuries at cornerback, players are being asked to shoulder multiple assignments, so either way you slice it, Sterns is poised to garner more playing time this season. Looking beyond that, the long-term plan will be for him to ultimately replace Jackson, who is likely in his final year in Denver. 

Jackson is savvy enough to know the upside of his younger teammate will make him expendable eventually, but it was without any self-serving jealousy that he complimented the rookie for performing so well. 

“Caden had a huge game yesterday—him stepping in and playing multiple positions,” Jackson noted. “He comes to work every day, and he’s a smart player and tough. I’m definitely excited for the way he played yesterday, and I look forward to the great things he will do for us moving forward. He’s been a great addition to our defense.”

That’s lofty praise coming from such an established vet especially when you consider how difficult it is for a rookie to play multiple spots.

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