The Denver Broncos have been re-signing or extending players at an impressive rate lately, but was only a matter of time before they lost an important player, which happened yesterday when the Dallas Cowboys signed safety P.J. Locke.
The report was written by Luca Evans of the Denver Post, and it’s a one year deal that ends the tenure of a six-year veteran that Evans described as “one of the Broncos’ truest grinders.”
Locke was an undrafted free agent back in 2020, and he worked his way up from a special teams player to a significant piece of the Broncos secondary. The safety clearly valued the ties he made in Denver, and he wrote about those relationships in Twitter post addressed to “Broncos Country.”
"For the past 7 years you guys have made Denver feel like home for my family and I," Locke wrote. "Things didn’t work out business wise, but just know you guys hold a very very special place in my heart that I can’t put into words. From the coaches, front office, friends, teammates and all the other relationships that were built. It’s hard moving on from that for sure, Trust me (sic).
We love you guys and wish the best of luck to everyone."
Locke was one of Denver’s most physical players long before coach Sean Payton arrived. He did play well for Payton, though, racking up 74 tacles, including three for a loss, back in 2024. He even worked his way back from a spinal-fusion procedure, according to Evans, fixing what the writer called a degenerated disc as he actually got an inch taller after the operation.
But the Broncos signed Talanoa Hufanga to add physicality, which relegated Locke to duty as a reserve. He had 16 tackles last season, but he saved his biggest game for Denver’s recent division round win over the Bills, posting nine tackles while forcing a fumble and adding a key interception.
"I think the young man’s just a warrior," former Texas safeties coach Craig Naivar, who coached Locke in college, told The Post before the season. "He (has) overachieved, he’s a hell of a player."
Locke will now get to compete for a spot in the Dallas secondary under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who also coached Locke in Denver during his stint as defensive backs coach from 2021-2023. The Broncos will now at least look for a depth piece to back up Hufanga and fellow safety Brandon Jones, who was a projected cap cut but now seems likely to stick around.