The first signing the Denver Broncos made in free agency last month was safety Talanoa Hufanga, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos gave Hufanga a three-year, $39 million deal, which, based on his 2022 All-Pro campaign, seems like a relative pittance at first glance.
But when the veteran safety's injury history is factored in — having appeared in 37 of 68 possible games in San Fran — we understand how the Broncos were able to get him signed to a contract that makes him the 11th-highest-paid at his position in the NFL. 10 of those 31 missed games came last year.
However, when he's on the field, Hufanga's play speaks for itself. He's a whirling dervish, or, as head coach Sean Payton described him last week, a "first responder."
“Well, he’s a great communicator, he’s super intelligent, his experience and there is a toughness about the way he plays," Payton said of Hufanga from the annual NFL meetings in Florida. "Sometimes you can be a second [defensive] responder [and] sometimes a first [defensive] responder, and he appears first a lot on screen."
One of the consequences of Hufanga's particular style of play is a higher risk of injury. Outside of one season, the Niners were unable to mitigate those risks successfully over his four years there, but the Broncos think differently. Payton had a message for Broncos Country on the subject of Hufanga.
"There’s a style to how he plays. Part of that style—because he’s so physical and so quick to support—he’s had a handful of injuries, but there’s a toughness to his game," Payton said of Hufanga. "You guys will like him. [There is] something about him when you meet him and you visit with him.”
Payton is eminently confident that the Broncos' program focusing on the prioritization of player wellness, sports science, nutrition, and strength and conditioning will be that mitigating factor to keeping these newcomer free agents on the field. And after two years of seeing how Payton's approach has reversed the Broncos' heretofore constant state of snake-bitten woe, there's reason to believe in his confidence.
“A lot of it had to do with how we handle the offseason and how we handle training camp. Quite honestly, there were a couple of them that maybe we would’ve had a much more difficult time signing had there not been a prior injury," Payton said.
Make no mistake, though; the Broncos are aware of the risk they're taking in Hufanga and fellow long-time Niners teammate Dre Greenlaw. The Broncos are simply confident they can defy the injury bug.
"We felt with those guys, there is always that risk evaluation that is measured and we felt pretty good about it," Payton said. "We feel like, in our program, we will be smart enough to understand their workload and all the things to try to get them healthy to the field. There is always some risk to that.”
Football is a violent game, which means, much like the UFC, injuries are part of the bargain. So, what truly separates the great teams from the down-on-their-luck franchises is how they manage and prevent injuries, which comes down to a philosophical commitment to player wellness.
Upon arriving in Denver, Payton wasted no time in hiring Beau Lowery to serve as VP of player health and performance, as well as making several other savvy hires, including strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple. The proof is already in the pudding.
The Broncos went from being ranked first in 2022 in salary-cap dollars sitting on injured reserve to one of the healthiest teams in the NFL over Payton's tenure. This is why Broncos Country need not agonize over the what-could-happens relative to these new free agents. Instead of focusing on fear of loss, feel confident in embracing the hope of gain that these new Broncos bring to the table.
In Hufanga's case, he's barely scratched the surface on what he's capable of in the NFL. At just 25 years old, he's got plenty of tread left on his tires and already has first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl accolades on his resume.
Hufanga had 97 tackles (66 solo) that year (2022), to go along with four interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown), two sacks, five tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, and nine pass break-ups. The following season, he picked off three more passes in just 10 games. The Broncos see that level of production returning for their new starting safety, and in the very near future.
As Payton said, you'll often see Hufanga as the first guy into the fray. It won't take him long to endear himself to Broncos Country — of that I have no doubt.
Hufanga's arrival relegates P.J. Locke back the role he's best suited for as the No. 3 safety. Brandon Jones is coming off a Pro Bowl-caliber season, and he'll now work in tandem with Hufanga with support from Locke.
The Broncos will be wise and cautious with Hufanga and Greenlaw's usage in OTAs and especially training camp. I wouldn't expect to see them much in the preseason, but come the regular season, the Broncos will have them ready to step in and help lead this defense to the next level.
"That was a big get," Payton said of Hufanga. "We felt excited about that."
