The Denver Broncos have one of the best defenses in the National Football League. A big reason for that is a top-notch secondary that has quality starters and depth across the board. Safety Brandon Jones is a key starter on the backend of their defense who is set to return for the 2026 season.
During the 2024 free agency period, the Broncos inked Jones to a three-year deal worth $20 million with $11 million in guarantees. He was the direct replacement for Justin Simmons and has played fairly well
for the Broncos. The ‘26 campaign is a contract year for the seventh-year pro.
Late last season in the Broncos’ Week 15 matchup versus the Green Bay Packers, Jones suffered a torn pectoral and was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Earlier this year, he had surgery to repair the issue and is expected to be a full-go and participant for training camp. What can Broncos Country expect from Jones this season and what does the future have in store for him?
Player Profile
Age: 28 | Experience: Seventh Year | College: Texas | Height: 6’ | Weight: 191 pounds
Arm Length: 30-1/8” | Hand Size: 8-3/4” | Wingspan: 74-1/2”
2025 Statistics: 14 games played, 13 starts, 78 tackles, 1 interception
Brandon Jones’ 2026 outlook with the Broncos
The 2026 season is the final year of Jones’ contract. The last two years for the Broncos, Jones played in 30 games with 28 starts. In that timeframe, he has totaled 193 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He is slated to be a starter alongside Talanoa Hufanga to lockdown the backend of Denver’s secondary.
During his time with the Broncos, Jones has been strong in coverage. It’s an area of his game he greatly improved upon since his initial four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Since signing with Denver in ‘24, the seventh-year pro has allowed just 35 receptions on 72 targets for 331 yards. Better yet? He has given up just one touchdown. Those are impressive marks.
Despite an eye-popping number of tackles, he has missed 32 tackles the past two seasons. That’s far too many for a key starter. However, there was demonstrable improvement in that respect in his injury-shortened ‘25 season—seven missed in ‘25 versus thirty-two in ‘24. Hopefully that trend can continue this season.
Final Thoughts
Jones has been a quality replacement for Simmons at safety for the Broncos. He isn’t a top-tier starter at the position, but he has been a good player for the franchise. He is one of three key members of their secondary alongside Ja’Quan McMillian and Riley Moss who are scheduled to hit free agency at the end of the year.
It’s improbable due to cap reasons that Denver will be able to retain them all and it will be interesting to see who they choose to prioritize when the time comes. It’s pretty easy to draft and develop talent at safety, and there is always a good amount of quality starters available in free agency every year. For those reasons, it seems probable Jones’ ‘26 season may be the last in the Mile High City.
Nevertheless, the team will need him to be healthy and contribute at a high level if they hope to make a Super Bowl run. They did bring in Tycen Anderson as a free agent, but he is mostly a special teams’ player with a limited number of career defensive snaps. Devon Key and J.L. Skinner are the backups, and neither of them have significant defensive reps either. A potential future replacement for Jones is Miles Scott, who Denver picked in the seventh-round in this year’s draft.
All things considered, Jones is expected to be a valuable starter and contributor for the Broncos’ defense this season. The big question that looms is whether or not he will be with the franchise beyond this season.
