Veteran safety P.J. Locke revealed on his YouTube channel that he had spinal fusion surgery at the end of the season.
Good morning, Broncos Country.
With training camp just a few weeks away, a bit of shocking news hit the waves the other day. Earlier in the week, Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke revealed on social media that underwent surgery this past offseason—and it wasn’t just any routine surgery.
According to the video above, Locke mentioned he was suffering from extreme lower back pain during the team’s 2024 campaign. The severity of his condition? It was eventually discovered that he had bone on bone contact between the fourth and fifth vertebrae in his spine—which needed special fusion surgery to fix.
While Locke looked great to start the year, he did struggle in coverage down the stretch. However, we now know that he was dealing with a career-threatening injury. That certainly helps put into perspective some of the issues we saw toward the end of last year. Moreover, it could have been a reason why the team made such a big free agent splash by signing Talanoa Hufanga—which was somewhat of a surprise to many across Broncos Country.
With the departure of several veterans last season, Locke saw an increase in defensive snaps last season and earned a starting role alongside fellow Texas Longhorn Brandon Jones. He was on the field some of the most of any Broncos’ defensive player. In fifteen games with fifteen starts, he played 1,000 snaps and totaled a career high 74 tackles.
Keep in mind, he was also dealing with a broken thumb that had him wearing a cast during parts of the season and caused him to miss two games. From the video, Locke says he is feeling a lot better and believes his recovery to date has been nothing short of miraculous. Prayers up for Locke as he continues this journey to overcome such a harrowing diagnosis.
As always, thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.
Broncos News & Tidbits
Denver Broncos reportedly wanted to trade into top 10 for this 2025 NFL Draft prospect
But the cost was too steep for the Broncos.
Broncos fortified dominant defense to avoid regression in 2025
Building a defense that’s top-shelf year after year in the NFL is tough to do. The Denver Broncos, though, think they’ve done just that.
Denver Broncos Mailbag: Will Marvin Mims become more than a gadget guy in 2025?
The Denver Broncos will have to give Marvin Mims more snaps in 2025 if they want him to become a true WR2 on offense.
Broncos’ Jahdae Barron to Michael Huff: ‘Best DB’ at Texas
NFL Insider: Broncos rookie Jahdae Barron once told future mentor Michael Huff he would be ‘best DB ever’ at Texas.
NFL News & Tidbits
NFL ‘Bag’ Hall of Fame: Players who maximized contract leverage
Which NFL players have negotiated the most profitable contracts over their careers? Bill Barnwell gives his picks.
Top 100 Players of 2025, Nos. 100-95: Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat makes debut
“The Top 100 Players of 2025” — voted on by the players themselves — reveal is underway on X and NFL+!
Seven-round NFL mock draft for 2025 season: Every team’s full set of win-now picks
Here are each team’s full set of picks from Chad Reuter’s seven-round mock draft of active NFL players for the 2025 season. Which team lands the 2022 rookie award-winning duo of Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner?
Top five NFL draft values of the millennium at safety: Ed Reed proved to be a real first-round steal
Which NFL draft picks at safety have provided the best value since the turn of the century 25 years ago? Eric Edholm makes the case for five difference-makers, including one of the most prolific ballhawks in league history.