The Denver Broncos lost one of the best safeties in the NFL when Justin Simmons went down with a thigh injury before Week 2, but they had a capable backup ready to step up in Simmons’ place.
Over the last four weeks, second-year safety Caden Sterns totaled 19 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions — both picks came against the Indianapolis Colts last Thursday.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and I got a pick,” Sterns said after his two-interception performance in Week 5. “On the second one, it was the same thing. Collectively, everybody was doing their job. When we all do our jobs, good things happen. It felt good. Winning would feel better.”
With Simmons eligible to return from injured reserve this week, Sterns is about to go back to being a rotational third-string safety, but he’ll still have opportunities to make plays on defense.
“He stepped up to the challenge,” Broncos outside linebacker Bradley Chubb said last week. “It’s fun to watch him play, watch him grow as a safety. Because when he first got here, he didn’t like to hit. I won’t lie to you; he didn’t like to hit. Now you see him in the box, trying to get the ball out and do everything he can to make plays for the defense, so it’s fun to see.”
Though it was a relatively small sample size, the last four weeks suggest that Sterns has a future as a full-time starter in Denver.
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