Has Caden Sterns locked in a starting safety position?

Positional battles are always interesting during training camp. An underrated one that the Denver Broncos have is the strong safety battle. Many do not see it as a battle, but one player (Kareem Jackson) has been the starter at the position since 2019, and the other player (Caden Sterns) looks like he is ready to start in this dynamic young defense.

""Obviously competition is competition. At the end of the day, for me, it’s all about coming out and still showing I can play this game at a high level.""

- Kareem Jackson (via Broncos PR)

Entering the offseason, safety was a position of need for the Denver Broncos. Despite having big-named safeties available on the market like CJ Gardner-Johnson, and Vonn Bell, the Broncos decided to bring back veteran Kareem Jackson and drafted former Boise State standout JL Skinner.

Jackson entered the offseason as a free agent, Denver brought him back on a one-year deal, but as many expect, he will have a reduced role, it will be more of a veteran-presence role.

Jackson started all 17 games for the Broncos at strong safety last season. He had 94 tackles, 3 pass breakups, and 2 fumble recoveries.

Last season, Sterns showed that he can be a starting safety for the Denver Broncos, but a hip injury made him miss most of the season, as he played in only five games. Despite playing in only five games in 2022-2023, Sterns was a very efficient safety for Denver. He had 21 tackles, 4 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions.

After Tuesday's practice, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph spoke to the media and said that both Sterns and Jackson will have a role depending on the scheme and specific scenario.

During team practices, it has been reported that Sterns has been playing with the starters, and with the team's first officially unofficial depth chart announced, it's still neck and neck at strong safety alongside Second-Team All-Pro Justin Simmons.

Denver has a young dynamic secondary, and Caden Sterns has shown that he is capable of being the starting safety alongside star Justin Simmons. He is a very talented and efficient safety.

It is not official yet, but the expectation is that Sterns will be playing next to Simmons in the starting lineup, replacing Kareem Jackson, who has been the starter since he joined the Broncos in 2019.