When star free safety Justin Simmons couldn’t play in the Broncos’ Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans, Caden Sterns had a chance to step up and start in his place.
“It was fun, man,” Sterns said. “It’s a learning experience, as well. It felt pretty good out there but obviously, there’s some things to work on.”
Beyond being one of the best free safeties in the NFL, Simmons has also been one of the healthiest. Before Sunday, he’d started 66 games in a row. Even more impressively, Simmons had played 3,272 defensive snaps in a row. That’s every snap since the start of the 2018 season-opener. Now he’s set to miss a minimum of four games with a thigh injury after being placed on injured reserve.
For Sterns, that meant he didn’t get to play much free safety (the position he played almost exclusively at Texas) as a fifth-round rookie last season. He got most of his work early in the season as a dime linebacker, close to the line of scrimmage.
But when Kareem Jackson was hurt later in the year, Sterns filled in as strong safety. In the Broncos’ defense, the strong safety is playing deep as much as the free safety.
“Both safety positions complement one another,” Sterns said. “It’s not really a true deep and box safety. It’s kind of both at the same time.”
Now, Sterns and Jackson are partners at the backend of the Broncos’ defense.
“He played really well. I think he did good,” the 34-year-old veteran said. “He came in and we operated.”
He added that there was no need for any extra communication or double-checking with Sterns compared to when he’s working with Simmons.
“Caden has a ton of experience in such a short time,” Jackson said. “If it’s something game-planning-wise or if I see something on film, obviously we’ll share that with each other. Me and Justin do the same thing.”
More than anything, he’s excited for Sterns to get an opportunity to prove himself even further for a few weeks.
“It’s great for young guys to get opportunities to take advantage of,” he said. “When it’s time to get paid he’s going to have a ton on film. He’s been playing some great ball at multiple different positions that everybody can see.”
This week, the Broncos’ defense faces a tall task. The San Francisco 49ers are known for their tricky play designs and use of misdirection. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s version of the West Coast offense has taken the league by storm over the past half-decade.
Luckily for the Broncos, new head coach Nathaniel Hackett runs a version of that offense, which could give the Denver defense a slight advantage.
“Definitely a similar offensive style,” Sterns said. “It’s not going to be very new to us. It should be something that we’ve seen before.”
What the Broncos haven’t seen before is a tight end like George Kittle. He can block. He can run. He’s one of the very best in the league.
“It’s gonna be kind of fun going against him, watching him throughout my college career and then some in high school,” Sterns said. “Very physical, obviously. He’s also huge in the passing game as well. It’s gonna be fun.”
