ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It must be a special moment once an NFL rookie signs his first contract and realizes he will actually get paid to play football.
Caden Sterns is now officially a pro after the Broncos’ fifth-round safety from Texas signed a four-year, $3,810,584 contract Tuesday night.
“Can’t wait to get up there,’’ Sterns said in a phone call with 9NEWS. “When I get up there tomorrow that’s when it will set in. I’m excited. But never satisfied. Can’t wait to get there with the team.”
The Broncos’ rookie minicamp will begin with meetings Wednesday night. There will be physicals and more meetings Thursday, before the rookies get on the field for walkthroughs/practice on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the team’s UCHealth Training Center.
Sterns contract: $330,584 signing bonus, and then four minimum salaries of $660,000 in 2021; $825,000 in 2022; $940,000 in 2023 and $1.055 million in 2024. Pretty decent minimum salaries.
At Texas, Sterns was the Big 12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2018 as he had a Justin Simmons-like 4 interceptions and 62 tackles in 13 games.
What does Sterns hope to accomplish in year one with the Broncos?
“Learn my role,’’ he said. “Be a heavy contributor on special teams. Learn the playbook and develop and learn from Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons who have obviously been in the league for a minute and are very successful. And then earn the trust from my coaches and teammates and then from there hopefully get in some sub packages and get on the field on the defensive side of the ball.”
Sterns trained in Arizona with Jamar Johnson, another safety whom the Broncos drafted later in the fifth round, and first-round cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
“I actually grew pretty close to them so I think it’s going to be fun,” Sterns said.