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The Denver Broncos need help at a lot of positions — the defensive side of the ball in particular.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine identified the safety and cornerback positions as the Broncos’ two biggest weaknesses headed into the 2024 season and suggested an infusion of veteran talent by signing free agent cornerback/safety and 2-time NFL All-Pro Patrick Peterson.
“The Broncos just need secondary help,” Ballentine wrote. “Whether it be another cornerback or a safety to replace Justin Simmons, it’s hard to believe that the current group is the one the team is comfortable rolling with throughout the season. Patrick Peterson is definitely past his prime at 34 years old, but he still made 16 starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and played reasonably well. He also did some moonlighting as a safety in the final few games. If he’s willing to move there he could help a young Broncos secondary find its footing.”
Peterson started 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and has 7 interceptions over the last 2 seasons. Peterson has also been incredibly durable throughout his career, and has played every game in 11 out of 13 NFL seasons.
The Broncos open the season at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.
Peterson Represents Quick Upgrade for Broncos
Drafted No. 5 overall out of LSU in the 2011 NFL Draft, Peterson spent the first decade of his career with the Arizona Cardinals and was one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks and punt returners.
He signed a 5-year, $70.5 million contract extension with the Cardinals in 2014. He was eventually named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s.
Peterson spent 2 seasons with the Vikings in 2021 and 2022 before he signed a 2-year, $14 million contract with the Steelers before the 2023 season. Peterson had 2 interceptions, 42 tackles and 11 pass deflections in his one season with the Steelers.
What would the Peterson cost the Broncos? Probably not much. He signed a 1-year, $4 million contract with the Vikings before the 2022 season.
Broncos Need Help Opposite NFL All-Pro Surtain
It’s a testament to the state the Broncos’ franchise is in that cornerback is listed as one of the team’s weaknesses, because that’s where their best player is with Surtain, a two-time Pro Bowler and NFL All-Pro selection in 2022.
Surtain made PFF’s list of the Top 50 Players in the NFL at No. 35 — the highest of any player on the Broncos.
From PFF: “Denver’s defense was in trouble for a good portion of last season, and even their best players struggled because of it. Patrick Surtain II gave up three touchdowns on the season and a 93.9 passer rating when targeted, the worst mark of his career. But when assessing the 24-year-old, it seems foolish to put that down to anything other than variance at the position and the issues around him. The tape still shows Surtain is an elite cover cornerback and one of the best in the game.”
Denver has exercised its fifth-year option on Surtain’s contract that would pay the 24-year-old $19.8 million in 2025 but the more likely path is he’ll receive a lucrative contract extension that could make him one of the highest-paid defensive backs in NFL history.
