Safety David Bruton didn’t play in the Super Bowl because the Broncos placed him on injured reserve in December after he broke his leg.
That injury shouldn’t hinder Bruton’s preparations for the 2016 season, however. Bruton said, via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post, that he’s 100 percent and that he could have played in the Super Bowl if the team didn’t bring his season to an end.
With his health squared away, Bruton’s attention will now turn to free agency. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent next month and says that he’d like to remain in Denver, although he knows that there won’t be enough money for the team to bring everyone back for another run at a title. He mentioned the Bears, Giants and Dolphins as other teams that might be interested in his services.
Bruton said he hasn’t had any talks with the Broncos and that he’d like to be a starter, but he pointed to the three-year, $15 million deal that cornerback Justin Bethel signed with the Cardinals in December as the kind of contract he’s looking for this offseason. Bethel is a special teams regular for Arizona, which has also been part of Bruton’s role in Denver and would likely continue to be one with T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart expected back at safety.