P.J.

Locke

Locke is one of the first NFL players to undergo spinal fusion surgery, sharing his journey in a personal documentary YouTube video. He dealt with the pain from the surgery early on, but says he does not feel pain now. Locke started 15 games and the playoff loss for the Broncos and is a key member of a daunting secondary. The 28-year-old missed offseason workouts due to rehab and is preparing to be ready for the regular season.

Locke was considered doubtful for the bout against the Panthers, and will unsurprisingly miss the contest. Wilson will operate as the emergency third quarterback.

The training staff has yet to determine the injury’s severity but the Broncos are already in a tough spot at safety. The front office released four-time second-team All-Pro S Justin Simmons this offseason and both S Caden Sterns (patellar tendon) and S Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) are currently on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list. P.J. Locke is the only active Broncos safety who logged triple-digit defensive snaps last year, though he worryingly earned a 55.2 PFF coverage grade.

Locke played sparingly his first three seasons in the league but became one of the standouts of the defense while filling in for the injured Kareem Jackson in 2023. Locke returns to a secondary now devoid of Justin Simmons after the latter’s release, creating the opportunity for Locke to see a significant bump in playing time in the immediate future.

All three were exclusive rights free agents. Rypien had a four-interception start against the Jets in 2020, but only attempted two passes in 2021 as a backup. He may be in line to be Russell Wilson’s backup in 2022 unless the Broncos sign someone else, as they’ve traded Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater is a free agent.

Locke (5'10/200) entered the draft mix after his senior season, but it’s been a really quiet draft season for the former Longhorn. However, as a senior, Locke racked up an impressive 58 solo tackles with a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss. That level of production is nice to see for a deep sleeper.

Locke suffered an undisclosed injury in the Oklahoma State game last week, and it’s uncertain if this toe ailment is a new issue or what he was dealing with before. Either way, it doesn’t seem to be a huge concern since he was able to finish out the win. Next up is a visit from Iowa State on Saturday.

Locke suffered the injury on the Oklahoma State sideline, and the way in which Boone Pickens Stadium is set up there isn’t much room between the field of play and the stands. And with Texas already light on numbers in the secondary, if the senior safety were to be ruled out for the remainder of Saturday’s game there would be even more trouble in that regard. Josh Thompson replaced Locke in the lineup.

Locke is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks, a recovery timetable which puts him in line to be fully healthy for the start of August camp. The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder started nine games at nickelback this past season, recording 33 tackles, six pass breakups and a pair of interceptions along the way.

Locke (5'10/200) sustained a stinger in practice earlier this month. While Longhorns HC Tom Herman said at the time that it would probably knock the senior safety out of action for the remainder of the spring, it looks like he’s closing in on a full recovery. Even if he’s cleared for Saturday, though, Herman and staff will likely play matters cautiously in terms of just how much work he sees. Locke notched 36 tackles with a pair of passes defended while making eight starts last season.