The Denver Broncos have made the shocking decision to release safety Caden Sterns, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft who has been struggling to stay healthy through his first handful of NFL seasons. Even though he's struggled to stay healthy, the Broncos appeared to have a gem on their hands with Sterns because, whenever he was on the field, he was making big plays.
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in the NFL, and Sterns simply couldn't get on the field long enough to factor into the team's immediate and/or future plans, apparently. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network dropped this bomb on Monday morning:
The #Broncos have informed safety Caden Sterns of their plans to release him, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 5, 2024
A fifth-round pick of the Broncos in 2021, Sterns flashed potential during three seasons in Denver and should have options around the league.
Denver Broncos must bring back Justin Simmons after Caden Sterns release
Justin Simmons still lives in Denver, he still trains at Landow Performance just down the road from the team facility, and he was recently seen hitting the driving range near the Broncos' practice fields. The time to give Simmons a call was yesterday, but the opportunity to re-sign him for the Broncos has never been more obvious.
It was a brutal decision to have to make earlier in the offseason to cut Simmons in the first place. The Broncos needed the $14 million in cap savings as they had to allocate cap space toward refurbishing other areas of the roster, but cutting Simmons was not likely ever about the football aspect of things. Simmons has still been a player at the height of his game, and he's been a tremendous asset as a leader on and off the field.
Getting Simmons back in the fold is now bordering on essential for the Broncos for a couple of reasons. First of all, the release of Caden Sterns means the Broncos will no longer have a player who was supposed to be a factor in the defense for 2024. Second, free agent acquisition Brandon Jones has been on the mend for a good chunk of the offseason. He missed time at OTAs and he's now dealing with a hamstring injury at training camp.
The Broncos have given first-team safety reps, in the meantime, to JL Skinner, a second-year player who has apparently impressed. But the reality is that the Broncos are one more injury at safety away from being in a disastrous position. It's bizarre that Simmons is even still available in the first place. The safety market around the NFL has been very odd this offseason and we've seen good players lingering into free agency.
The market has picked up a little bit in recent weeks as we saw the Baltimore Ravens sign veteran Eddie Jackson and the Tennessee Titans picked up both Jamal Adams And Quandre Diggs for their defensive backfield. To say the Broncos need a veteran for the defensive backfield right now would be an understatement.
Justin Simmons is going to drastically help some team this coming season, which makes it all the more odd that he hasn't been signed anywhere. The Broncos' decision to release Caden Sterns is the last bit of confirmation anyone really needed that this team should go sign Simmons STAT.