The Denver Broncos will have two new opening-day starters at safety next season.
Justin Simmons is still a free agent after being cut and there is little sign of the Broncos having an interest in bringing him back. Kareem Jackson is a free agent and lost his starting spot to P.J. Locke after suffering an injury.
Denver re-signed Locke on a two-year, $7 million contract in free agency this offseason, and he is looking to take on a leadership role in grand fashion.
“Man can we get a NFL DB retreat going?!” Locke posted on X on May 31.
Locke’s idea is similar to what many of the league’s tight ends have done for the past few seasons, Tight End University, which was started by Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers.
It immediately sparked a conversation about a future meeting that drew in several of the league’s top defensive backs.
“Man this been in talks for years !,” teammate Pat Surtain II said in a quote post.
“Eff it P!” Locke said in response to Surtain. “We gone rap about it and have it going next year. Frfr!”
Former Broncos S Justin Simmons, Fellow Stars Plan Offseason Get-Together
GettyP.J. Locke of the Denver Broncos and former teammate Justin Simmons #31.
Simmons soon chimed in with names of players who be joked should have already started the tradition.
“@bigplay24slay [Darius Slay] @qdiggs6 [Quandre Diggs] it’s up to the OG’s bank!! I’m blaming them,” Simmons said, capping his comments with a laughing face emoji before adding to the list in a separate message. “And I’m adding @ReemBoi25 [Jackson] and @Mathieu_Era [Tyrann Mathieu] in there too.”
“All yall full of [poop emojis], Locke replied to Simmons’ first post, adding for the second, “I know Jack fasho full of cow ‘manuder.’”
The conversation did not stop there as many of the players Simmons named came to the comments to defend themselves.
“lol I’m bout to make some calls now,” the Philadelphia Eagles star, Slay, replied to Simmons.
“Ay man who woke this man up today being messy!” Diggs posted.
“lol,” the New Orleans Saints safety, Mathieu, posted in response to Diggs. “I’m with it. I blame those before me lol.”
“We gone have it in Beaumont and eat crawfish after?” Locke asked Diggs.
Tight End U Serves as Blueprint for Broncos S P.J. Locke’s Effort
GettySafety P.J. Locke #6 of the Denver Broncos.
The conversation may have ended with jokes. But the tight ends showed that a small group can start something big.
“Founded in 2021 by NFL Tight Ends George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen, Tight End University was created to bring the Tight End community together for an immersive three-day program,” the event’s official site reads. “Over the course of the summit, attendees are able to bond, collaborate with, and learn amongst their peers while participating in a variety of activities including film study, on-field drills, recovery, rehabilitation, and more.”
This year’s meeting drew over 70 tight ends and several current quarterbacks. The defensive backs have six players on board. That is just a fraction of what the tight ends had in their session this past January.
It is twice as many as what their offensive counterparts had when they began though.
