It’s not quite as splashy as the Jaylen Waddle trade, but the Broncos have made their second external move of the offseason.
Denver has agreed to terms with free-agent safety Tycen Anderson on a one-year deal, a source confirmed to The Denver Post on Thursday.
It’s a clear move to address both depth at safety and bring in a potentially impactful special-teams player. Anderson has played just a handful of snaps on defense through a three-year NFL career, but played 83% of the Bengals’ special-teams snaps last season.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Anderson was a fifth-round draft pick by Cincinnati in 2022 and appeared in every game for the Bengals in 2024 and 2025. He’s recorded a total of 42 tackles across his three-year career, primarily on special teams.
Multiple NFL sources told The Denver Post that the Broncos would look for a depth safety in free agency, a need made more urgent by the departure of key reserve P.J. Locke for the Dallas Cowboys. Anderson could reasonably compete for Denver’s third-safety job or primarily fill a role on special teams, as the Broncos also have reserves Devon Key and J.L. Skinner under contract for 2026.
Denver sought out external special-teams contributors last offseason, signing receiver Trent Sherfield and safety Sam Franklin to short-term deals. Neither panned out, ultimately, as Denver waived Franklin during final roster cuts and cut Sherfield midseason.
The 26-year-old Anderson played 23 snaps on special teams in the Broncos’ Week 4 win over the Bengals in 2025, and 20 snaps in Denver’s 30-24 overtime-thriller win over Cincinnati the previous season.
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