Broncos’ Free Agent Signing Draws Comparison to Steve Atwater originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Strong secondary play has been key to the Denver Broncos’ success in recent seasons. With players like Patrick Surtain II and Brandon Jones currently on its roster, as well as Justin Simmons and Aqib Talib previously donning orange and blue jerseys, the Broncos have possessed a number of marquee names in its secondary.
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This past offseason, the Broncos added another player in the upper echelon of NFL defensive backs in Talanoa Hufanga, who signed a three-year, $39 million contract with team in March.
Even though he has yet to appear in a regular season game with the Broncos, Hufanga – and his explosive playing style – has received praise from one of the team’s all-time greats: Steve Atwater, who has two Super Bowl rings, two First-Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Football Hall of fame bust to his name.
“I see it and I love it,” Atwater told The Denver Post’s Troy Renck. “You can’t worry about what might happen when you are trying to make the tackle. You just have to do it. (Hufanga) absolutely brings it.”
Hufanga is looking for a fresh start in Denver after injury-riddled seasons in his final two years with the San Francisco 49ers. He suffered a season-ending ACL tear during Week 11 of the 2023 campaign and was placed on injured reserve after suffering an injury to his wrist in 2024.
San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium.Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Despite appearing in just 17 games over the past two years, Hufanga remained a productive presence in the 49ers’ secondary when healthy. He made 90 tackles (including 59 solo stops), caught three interceptions and defended three passes during that time frame.
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Hufanga, a fifth-round NFL Draft pick by the 49ers in 2021, has appeared in 49 career games and picked up three major honors during the 2022 season. In addition to being a First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection, he was named the Polynesian Professional Football Player of the Year by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.