Following his dominant performance in a 30-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Hufanga had two interceptions, one of them a game-changing pick-six that gave Denver its first lead of the game and the other a game-winner, plus a sack. Even more impressive, Hufanga did all in one quarter.
For his efforts, Hufanga received a game ball from coach Sean Payton.
"[H]e obviously gets a game ball,” Payton said after the comeback victory. “The interception for the touchdown was the play, just what that does for you and the play at the very end, he’s been such a consistent performer for us and leader. I love him, I love coaching
him … I was happy.”
The moment Talanoa Hufanga got the game ball pic.twitter.com/W8XyJGFXhB
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) September 28, 2026
Hufanga spoke about receiving the game ball in his postgame presser.
“It was an incredible feeling, for sure," Hufanga said. "I don’t take these moments lightly. I’m learning and I’m growing as a human, just being older. It’s been a true testament to my family, just supporting me. These moments are huge, but at the end of the day, I got to go back and my daughter and son are going to wait for me and they’re going to expect me to be dad. So these moments mean a lot, but there is a bigger picture, and that is just life. Super thankful.”
Hufanga gave the credit for his performance to God, before talking about the journey he's taken to this point.
“Praise God to come out there and just play the game I love and walk out here healthy," Hufanga said. "I talked this offseason, you try and not get too down on yourself. I actually had to have a pep-talk with myself. Like I dropped two [possible interceptions] at the beginning of the game, and it was in there, for sure, ‘Ah, don’t be the guy—make the plays when they come.’ So just sitting back with some patience and letting the game come to me, for sure."
Hufanga has had a nose for the football since signing as a free agent with the Broncos in 2025. Since that time, Hufanga has had 14 pass deflections and several near-missed interceptions, but he finally got his first two picks in orange and blue on Sunday.
If this is the new normal, Broncos Country can certainly get behind it!
Hufanga will return to face the team that drafted him in Week 4 when the Broncos travel to San Francisco to take on the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: ‘Super thankful’ Talanoa Hufanga named AFC Defensive Player of the Week
