Caden Sterns’ tenure with the Broncos is over.
The club on Monday waived Sterns, a 2021 fifth-round pick out of Texas, head coach Sean Payton confirmed after practice.
“I visited with Caden this morning and just told him that right now, I think it’s in the best interest of our team,” Payton said. “Especially this early, he’ll have a chance to either possibly sign with another team or possibly be traded. Part of it is a byproduct of these other guys that are playing ahead of him right now.”
The Broncos hoped to trade Sterns if interest came in from other teams, but he showed on the NFL’s afternoon transaction wire as a waiver.
Sterns played 15 games as a rookie, but injury issues marred his past two seasons. He stepped into the starting lineup for an injured Justin Simmons early in the 2022 season but then after three high-quality starts went on injured reserve with a hip issue that required surgery.
He returned healthy through camp in 2023 but tore his patella tendon in his knee on just his second snap of the season opener against Las Vegas and missed the remainder of the season. Sterns said in January he hoped to return for some of the offseason program, but instead was limited to conditioning work only. He began training camp on the physically unable-to-perform list but returned to practice last week in a limited capacity.
Payton has expressed confidence in Denver’s young group of safeties and that set will be tested thoroughly now. Starter Brandon Jones is sidelined currently with a hamstring issue, leaving P.J. Locke and a fleet of young players led by JL Skinner, Devon Key, Tanner McCalister and others.
“(Skinner) is one of — not just the only one — he’s one of a handful of these guys,” Payton said. “He’s smart. … He’s playing with confidence and he’s one of the younger guys that’ll be pushing and he’s just got to keep pushing.”
The release is a continuation of the transformation at the safety position for the Broncos from 2023 to 2024. At this time a year ago, Denver’s top three men at the position were Simmons, Kareem Jackson and Sterns with Locke trying to prove himself as a starting-caliber player. Now Locke is back on a two-year deal signed this spring and the rest are no longer with the franchise.
