After winning Super Bowl 50, Broncos safety Darian Stewart went back to Huntsville, Ala., his hometown, to celebrate with friends, family and kids who look up to him.
When he returned, he was surprised to hear the NFL Network’s Ike Taylor call the Steelers the No.1 hard-hitting secondary in the NFL ahead of the Broncos. It was one of many perceived slights he has heard in the offseason, but this was the tipping point.
“They must not have watched the film. For him to say the Steelers were No. 1, that was bad. He shouldn’t even be on TV,” Stewart said. “He remembers D.T. (Demaryius Thomas) well.”
Taylor was the cornerback who was beaten by Thomas on an 80-yard touchdown pass by Tim Tebow in overtime of the Broncos’ 2011 AFC wild-card victory over Pittsburgh.
Stewart has a message for analysts who expect a big drop-off for the defending Super Bowl champions. Have the Broncos received the respect they deserve?
“Not at all,” Stewart said. “It’s our second year together, so it’s going to be hell for teams this year.”
Stewart made 63 tackles, deflected 10 passes, intercepted one pass, and forced one fumble in 15 games last season. He added another interception in the Broncos’ AFC championship victory over New England and a forced a fumble in their Super Bowl 50 victory over Carolina.
He expects he and the team will improve in year two of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ scheme. The secondary’s plan is to lead the NFL in interceptions this season
They’ll have a couple of reinforcements, with rookie safeties Justin Simmons and Will Parks looking to replace David Bruton. Stewart said it’s not a threat to his job security.
“We needed the depth,” Stewart said. “That’s what we lacked last year.”
He’s already seen the versatility in Simmons’ and Parks’ games to believe they can contribute as a rookies.
“For a young guy like me to come in, that’s where I want to be after four or five, six years in the league,” Simmons said about Stewart and safety T.J. Ward. “Those are the guys that I want to be, and that I’m looking up to.
Stewart, 27, enters his seventh NFL season in the final year of a two-year, $4.25 million contract he signed last offseason. If he plays like he did last season, he’s due for a bigger payday next offseason. He’s aware, but trying not to look ahead.
He said a late-season hamstring injury prevented him from being 100-percent healthy until the offseason, but feels great as the team heads into organized team activities next week. The lone game Stewart missed last season, a December loss to Pittsburgh, was the Broncos’ worst defensive performance of the year.
The No. 1 defense and Super Bowl champion title is firmly in the Broncos’ hands, meaning they will be a target against every team they play.
“We are ready for the challenge,” Stewart said. “From day one, we came in with our mindset on repeating.”
