P. J. Locke

American football player (born 1997)

American football player

P. J. Locke III

No. 6 – Denver Broncos

Position:

Safety

Personal information

Born:

(1997-02-12) February 12, 1997 (age 27)
Beaumont, Texas, U.S.

Height:

5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Weight:

202 lb (92 kg)

Career information

High school:

Central
(Beaumont, Texas)

College:

Texas

Undrafted:

2019

Career history

Pittsburgh Steelers (2019)*
Denver Broncos (2019–present)

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Roster status:

Active

Career NFL statistics as of 2023

Total tackles:	84
Sacks:	3.0
Forced fumbles:	4
Pass deflections:	6
Interceptions:	1

Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

James Abner "P. J." Locke III (born February 12, 1997) is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas. Locke was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL draft.

Early life

Locke attended Central High School in Beaumont, Texas.^[1]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
5 ft 10+1⁄4 in (1.78 m)	202 lb (92 kg)	31 in (0.79 m)	9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m)	4.57 s	1.62 s	2.58 s	4.26 s	7.13 s	36.0 in (0.91 m)	10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)	22 reps
All values from Pro Day^[2]

Pittsburgh Steelers

Locke was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft on April 29, 2019.^[3] Locke was waived on August 31 during final roster cuts.^[4]

Denver Broncos

Locke was signed to the Denver Broncos' practice squad on December 17, 2019.^[5] He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020,^[6] and signed to the practice squad the following day.^[7] Locke was elevated to the active roster on September 14 for the team's Week 1 game against the Tennessee Titans,^[8] making his NFL debut;^[9] he reverted to the practice squad the next day. The Broncos promoted Locke to their active roster on September 24.^[10]

Since 2020, Locke established himself as a core special teamer and led the Broncos in special teams snaps.

On March 16, 2023, Locke re-signed with Denver.^[11] He was placed on short-term injured reserve on August 31,^[12] and activated on October 7. On October 22, Locke made his first NFL career interception on a pass from quarterback Jordan Love to seal a Broncos win at home against the Green Bay Packers.

On March 11, 2024, Locke signed a two-year, $7 million contract extension with the Broncos.^[13]^[14]

References

^ Faye, Matt (2021-07-13). "Denver Bronco P.J. Locke to host free youth camp in Beaumont". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
^ "2019 Draft Scout P.J. Locke III, Texas NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
^ "Steelers sign undrafted safety P.J. Locke of Texas". 29 April 2019.
^ Varley, Teresa (August 31, 2019). "Steelers make roster cuts". Steelers.com.
^ Davis, Danny (December 17, 2019). "Ex-Longhorn P.J. Locke III heads to Denver to join forces with former teammates". American-Statesman.
^ DiLalla, Aric (September 5, 2020). "Broncos make series of transactions to reach 53-man roster limit". DenverBroncos.com.
^ DiLalla, Aric (September 6, 2020). "Broncos sign 15 players to practice squad". Denver Broncos. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
^ DiLalla, Aric (September 14, 2020). "Broncos elevate OLB Derrek Tuszka, S P.J. Locke from practice squad for #TENvsDEN". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
^ Howe, Jeff (September 16, 2020). "Longhorns in the NFL: Recapping a productive opening weekend". 247Sports.com.
^ Gantt, Darin (September 24, 2020). "Broncos promoting safety P.J. Locke from practice squad". Profootballtalk.com. NBC Sports.
^ DiLalla, Aric (March 16, 2023). "Broncos re-sign S P.J. Locke". DenverBroncos.com.
^ DiLalla, Aric (August 31, 2023). "Broncos sign NT Mike Purcell, CB Fabian Moreau and T Quinn Bailey, place three players on injured reserve". DenverBroncos.com.
^ Smith, Michael David (March 10, 2024). "Broncos re-sign safety P.J. Locke to two-year, $7 million contract". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
^ "Broncos re-sign S P.J. Locke to two-year contract". www.denverbroncos.com. March 11, 2024.