P. J. Locke
.jpg) Locke with the Denver Broncos in 2021 | |||||||||||||
| No. 1 – Dallas Cowboys | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | February 12, 1997 Beaumont, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Central (Beaumont) | ||||||||||||
| College | Texas (2015–2018) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: undrafted | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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* Offseason or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||
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James Abner "P. J." Locke III (born February 12, 1997) is an American professional football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns. Locke was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL draft. After being cut by the Steelers, he would sign with the Denver Broncos, playing in six seasons for them.
Early life
Locke attended Central High School in Beaumont, Texas.[1]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 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) | 6 ft 1+7⁄8 in (1.88 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]
After the 2020 season, 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.[13]
On March 11, 2024, Locke signed a two-year, $7 million contract extension with the Broncos.[14][15] After injuring himself in a Wild Card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, Locke successfully underwent a spinal fusion surgery that no NFL player had ever previously returned from.[16]
Dallas Cowboys
On March 10, 2026, Locke signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys.[17]
References
- ↑ Faye, Matt (July 13, 2021). "Denver Bronco P.J. Locke to host free youth camp in Beaumont". Beaumont Enterprise. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ↑ "2019 Draft Scout P.J. Locke III, Texas NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ↑ Adamski, Chris (April 29, 2019). "Steelers sign undrafted safety P.J. Locke of Texas". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Riker, John (October 23, 2023). "Mile High Morning: S P.J. Locke's first career interception secures Broncos' 19-17 victory". Denver Broncos. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
- ↑ Smith, Michael David (March 10, 2024). "Broncos re-sign safety P.J. Locke to two-year, $7 million contract". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (March 11, 2024). "Broncos re-sign S P.J. Locke to two-year contract". Denver Broncos. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ↑ Tomasson, Chris (July 19, 2025). "Father says Broncos' P.J. Locke ready for training camp after recovery from 'miracle' back surgery | NFL Insider". Denver Gazette. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ↑ Walker, Patrik (March 10, 2026). "2026 NFL Free Agency: P.J. Locke, Cowboys agree to terms". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
External links
- Career statistics from ESPN
- Dallas Cowboys bio
- Texas Longhorns bio