In a career season with the Bears three years ago, Kyle Fuller tied for the league lead in interceptions with seven and also led in total pass break-ups with 21.
After the Broncos made the signing of Fuller to a one-year, $9.5 million deal official Monday, coach Vic Fangio said he hopes the cornerback can inject that same sort of dynamic playmaking into the Denver defense.
“He’s a guy who will tackle and will hit from the corner position,” Fangio said. “We’re going to do everything we can do to get Kyle back to that 2018 form, and I know he’s excited to be here.”
Fuller in All-Pro 2018 form would be a boost for a Denver defense that lacked big plays in 2020. The Broncos ranked in the bottom third of football in both interceptions (10) and total takeaways (16). His arrival, along with the signing of Ronald Darby to a three-year, $30 million deal, brings stability to the top of the cornerback depth chart that’s been in disarray for Denver the past two years. Across 2019 and ’20, the Broncos had 10 different starting cornerbacks.
Count Justin Simmons, newly minted with a four-year, $61 million deal as the highest-paid safety in the game, as a fan of the Fuller deal.
“It’s going to be great,” Simmons said. “Obviously, I watched a lot of Kyle when I was watching Vic’s tape coming over from Chicago… and (I’m) really excited to have him as a teammate.”
The Broncos initially agreed to a contract with Fuller on Saturday, less than an hour after he was released by Chicago in a cap move that saved the Bears $11 million. Fuller said he understood “the business side of it” in regards to his unceremonious departure from the organization that drafted him 14th overall in 2014 out of Virginia Tech.
“It’s a new chapter and I’m ready to start working,” Fuller said. “I played with Bryce (Callahan) in Chicago, Ronald Darby played with my brother (in Washington), and I’ve seen a lot of these (Denver secondary) guys from across the league. Justin Simmons, I like the way he plays…. I like the way they all play and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Fuller said his relationship with Fangio was a primary factor in his signing.
“We get along well and pretty naturally,” Fuller said. “I like the way he goes about coaching… I was excited to have a chance to work with him again.”
During six seasons in Chicago, Fuller recorded 19 interceptions, 82 pass break-ups and 390 tackles. He’s started all 16 games for each of the past five years and played in all 16 as a rookie. Four of those seasons were with Fangio, then the Bears’ defensive coordinator.
“I have experience in it, and I felt comfortable when (Fangio) was in Chicago,” Fuller said. “I think that says a lot. I can step in there and not really have to learn new things.”
