T.J. Ward is a fireball, both in personality and game play.
He’s not afraid to say it like it is, and he’s not afraid to lay the smack down when you come across the middle. Like the greats that came before him, Ward is going to bring the boom every chance he gets.
Ward is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and he expects it to stay that way, even if the Broncos drafted his eventual replacements this offseason.
Back in late April, John Elway selected two safeties in the NFL Draft, Justin Simmons (Round 3) and Will Parks (Round 6), who could one day evolve into replacements for Ward, Darian Stewart or both.
And while Ward will do everything in his power to make sure those guys are ready to step on the field and compete Week 1, he has absolutely no intentions of giving up his spot in the starting lineup.
“We drafted two young safeties,” Ward told MMQB’s Robert Klemko in a story that will release in full on Thursday, ” and I want to see them be the best they can be, and when it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go. Until I’m done, you’re not going to be better than me. I can tell you everything in the world, but can you do it? Do you have the heart, the work ethic?
“Shit, if you beat me out, it’s time for me to retire. If somebody younger than me comes and beats me at my job, it’s time for me to stop playing. That’s how things are done in a winning organization, a championship organization.”
And that’s exactly what you want to hear from a championship-level player.
Don’t be fooled … the Denver Broncos may have lost a few key pieces to free agency, but the heart and soul of their team is intact.
Whatever you do, don’t count these guys out just yet. Plenty of people made that mistake last year.
