With the NFL trade deadline having passed on Tuesday afternoon, said he’s “relieved” to remain with the Broncos through at least the end of 2019.
“I’m happy to be able to finish the year here,” Harris said. “That’s what I wanted, and that was the goal at the beginning of the year.”
Harris, whose one-year, $12.05 million deal expires after the season, said the stability of staying in Denver has been important for his home life. He and his wife, Leah, are expecting their fourth daughter any day now … just hopefully not Sunday, when the Broncos take on the Browns at Mile High.
“I’ll be good (to play) — I think she can make it,” Harris said with a laugh. “My wife’s a pro like me, so she’ll be able to figure it out (around the game), hopefully.”
While Harris “almost has a whole basketball team” at home, not being traded means he’ll continue to be a mentor for a Denver secondary that features green second-year contributors in No. 2 cornerback DaVontae Harris and nickelback Duke Dawson.
The veteran said DaVontae Harris “is like my kid. He’ll sit right by me, ask a thousand questions. That’s what you want, and that’s how I was when I was a kid like him coming into the league with Champ (Bailey), asking a whole bunch of questions. I tell him to keep asking the questions until he annoys me, and that’s what he’s doing.”
Harris also said he’s continuing to relish the burden on himself and the defense overall. The Broncos’ offense is averaging a paltry 15.6 points per game and will feature a new starting quarterback this week in Brandon Allen, who has never taken an NFL snap.
“(This year) we’ve always had a lot of pressure on us every game to win,” Harris said. “I have to play good to give us a chance to win every week, and I know that … I take on the big responsibility, and allow those (young secondary) guys to play free.”
After mostly containing the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill and the Colts’ over the past couple weeks, Harris looks forward to the challenge of the Browns’ top receiving threat — Odell Beckham Jr. (34 catches for 488 yards).
“I want Beckham (because) he’s the best receiver on their team,” Harris said. “No disrespect to (Jarvis) Landry, because I’ve had great battles with him too, but in their offense (Beckham) is their big-play guy.”
For the Broncos’ part, they are certainly happy to still have an All-Pro bolstering a passing defense which ranks fourth in football with 194.8 yards per game — even if it’s for only half a season more. A few teams inquired about Harris at the deadline, general manager said on KOA Radio on Wednesday, but “the compensation would have had to been a lot.”
Per Pro Football Focus, Harris is the 12th-highest rated cornerback in the NFL with a 74.8 rating though eight games. He has 22 tackles and one interception.
“I think he fits here (in the new scheme), and I’m glad we still have him,” coach said. “He’s a versatile player, he’s smart, he can play corner or nickel … He’s obviously what you want in a (defensive back).”
