For a player widely thought of as one of the hardest working and best at his position in the entire NFL, Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga had only continued to burnish his reputation through his first 2 games with his new team.
In Week 3, things changed. That’s when Hufanga did something so dumb it was hard to comprehend on any level of football.
Leading the Los Angeles Chargers 20-13 with 4:13 left in the fourth quarter and with the Chargers facing a 3rd-and-10 at their own 35-yard line, Hufanga body slammed Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen after the whistle following an 11-yard catch — a play born out of frustration — tacking another 15 yards onto the end of the play and pushing the Chargers into Broncos‘ territory.
Hufanga’s boneheaded play gave the Chargers momentum and it breathed new life into a drive that ended with a touchdown to tie the score at 20-20 in a game the Chargers would eventually win, 23-20, on a 43-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker as time expired.
The loss kept the Chargers unbeaten and dropped the Broncos to 1-2 as they return home for what now seems like a must win game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Monday Night Football in Week 4.
Hufanga Called Out Over Body Slam
From the DNVR Denver Broncos Podcast: “Right now we’re talking about small details, little details that the Broncos are missing. Penalties they’re committing. Like the body slam by Talanoa Hufanga. You know, unacceptable play … where you should be the most detailed, the most on your Ps and Qs, the most by the book, the Broncos have inexcusable, unforced error penalties that completely changed the game.
Hufanga’s play pretty much erased the good will he built up after signing a 3-year, $39 million free agent contract with the Broncos in March and after racking up 27 tackles, 2 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble through his first 3 games.
“Talanoa Hufanga is the only DB in the NFL with 10+ tackles in each of the first two games of the season,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on September 17. “He’s been a massive bright spot.”
After the loss to the Chargers, feelings may have changed on Hufanga, who was an NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.
Hufanga didn’t seem to realize he’d even made a mistake after the game.
“I’m not sure what I did, exactly,” Hufanga said. “Just trying to make a tackle … I guess I gotta go talk to the coaches and see what I did.”
Maybe Hufanga Just Doesn’t Get It And Never Will
While no one thing cost the Broncos the game against the Chargers, Hufanga’s personal foul was definitely in the running.
It’s also weird he didn’t seem to realize he’d done something wrong. Especially when the lowest common denominator on the internet — dudes talking ball — seemed to get it.
“Penalties HAVE TO STOP,” Broncos fan Mario Nicholson wrote on X. “Cut them in half and we win yesterday. Hufanga body slammin dude almost made me throw my tv yesterday. Like why would you do that?”
“Knee-jerk reaction from back-to-back heartbreakers, but mannn, Engram, Greenlaw, Harvey and Barron have been all disappointments,” Broncos fan account Centennial Sports wrote on X. “And Talanoa Hufanga is a penalty machine.”
Broncos $39 Million All-Pro Called Out For ‘Inexcusable’ Moment in Loss to Chargers