Upgrading the safety position was something Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said he felt the team needed to do back at Super Bowl Radio Row with Kay Adams. On Monday, the Broncos agreed to terms with Swiss-army knife safety Talanoa Hufanga, who leaves the San Francisco 49ers for the Mile High City.
Denver Broncos agree to terms with Talanoa Hufanga
Fortifying the defense was one of the Denver Broncos goals this offseason, and that’s how they approached the start of the NFL Free Agency frenzy on Monday once the legal negotiating period opened up.
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Former San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga will be wearing orange and blue this upcoming season as a member of Vance Joseph’s defense. Hufanga is a strong add for his ability to come up and play against the run and can be an impact player against the pass.
He agreed to terms with Denver on a three-year deal worth up to $45M, including $20M of that being guaranteed at signing on Wednesday.
He emerged onto the NFL scene in San Francisco in 2022 and played against the Broncos that season. In 2022, in 17 games, Hufanga finished with 97 tackles, two sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and nine passes defensed, which ultimately led to him being named a First-Team All-Pro selection.
The last two years for him didn’t go that way as he dealt with injuries. He played in 10 games in 2023 and played in seven games in 2024. He tore his ACL in 2023, which forced him to miss the 49ers ‘remaining nine games. In 2024, he suffered a wrist injury that forced him to miss seven games, but he returned in Week 14 and played in the team’s final five games of the season.
He now joins Brandon Jones as likely starters and the details are in the price tag. Right now, Denver’s safety room consists of Jones, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner, Devon Key, Keidron Smith, and now Hufanga. With this move, it’s safe to wonder what it means regarding Locke’s future status on the team after he started last season next to Jones.
One thing Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton value is the medical side of things — because they agreed to terms with Hufanga, that means his medicals checked out behind the scenes with Beau Lowery and their training staff.
His agreed-upon deal will become official on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. MT when the new league year officially begins.
This is a big move for the Broncos defense.
