Broncos finally add a free agent from another team, bolstering the secondary

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The Denver Broncos waited over a week into the free-agent signing period to officially sign a player from another team, but that ended on Thursday when the team agreed to terms on a new deal with defensive back Tycen Anderson. The deal was reported on Wednesday, then that changed to no deal, and the two sides made it official a day later.

The Broncos have focused their offseason efforts on bringing back as many players from last year's roster as possible, even re-signing players who hardly saw the field last year. That led to many grumblings from the fanbase, but a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle earlier this week changed all of that.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Anderson in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Toledo and he has spent the majority of his career on special teams, racking up 42 tackles. It seems that is what the Broncos are bringing him in for, as well as more depth at the safety position.

This is similar to the signing the Broncos made last year when they brought in Sam Franklin Jr. He was signed to be the special teams ace on the squad but he was cut after the preseason before being signed by the Buffalo Bills, where he was a strong asset for the team. He was rewarded with a three-year contract extension this offseason.

Bengals radio analyst and ex-NFL guard Dave Lapham on new #Broncos S Tycen Anderson: “He’s a very intelligent player. He’s got a high football IQ. I think he can do anything (on special teams). He can be an outside gunner or a personal protector for the punter.”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 19, 2026

Anderson is coming off his best season as a professional and he has played in every game for the Bengals in each of the last two seasons. After losing P.J. Locke to free agency, the Broncos made a point to add a strong special teams guy and Anderson fits that bill.

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