Broncos linebacker named AFC Defensive Player of Week

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — No matter what happens to the rest of Cody Barton’s career, he will always have the game against the Saints.

The Denver Broncos’ inside linebacker may continue on his journeyman path and wind up with another new team after this season – Denver already marks his third team in three years – but no one will ever take away his performance from last Thursday night in a 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.

“Today, I feel like it was kind of my day,’’ Barton said after the game. “Some of those bigger splash plays came my way.”

A strip sack takeaway, a long touchdown return that has now been ruled off a fumble, not an interception, another fumble touchdown return that was called back by penalty, a pass breakup 30 yards downfield (which he admitted was a dropped interception) and 8 tackles that tied for the team-lead, Barton’s tremendous all-over-the-field performance against the Saints earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

He’s the second Bronco to earn the defensive honor in three weeks, as cornerback Pat Surtain II from a week 5 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Broncos’ kicker Wil Lutz was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following a week 3 upset win at Tampa Bay.

Barton, three weeks shy of his 28th birthday, played his college ball at Utah before he became a third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2019 NFL Draft. But Seahawks’ star inside linebacker Bobby Wagner still had a couple more big seasons left, leaving Barton to play a backup/special teams role his first three NFL seasons.

Barton finally started for the Seahawks in his fourth season of 2022 and registered 136 tackles with two interceptions. A free agent after that season, Barton, who is considered a tad light as inside linebackers go at 6-foot-2, 237 pounds, signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Washington Commanders in 2023.

Again, he had a fine season, recording 121 tackles with an interception he returned 52 yards in a game against the Jets. But again, Barton was allowed to become a free agent this past March. When the Broncos lost longtime starting inside linebacker Josey Jewell to free agency and the Carolina Panthers, Denver quickly signed Barton to a one-year contract that pays him $2.5 million with another $1.5 million in incentives.

Barton began this season lined up as the No. 2 inside linebacker next to Alex Singleton through the first three games of the season, then became the every-down linebacker who called the defensive plays in the huddle after Singleton suffered a season-ending ACL injury in that Game 3 win at Tampa Bay.

Barton has made 33 tackles in the four games since he became the lead backer.

Again, his contract is up after this season. Whether he returns to the Broncos or winds up with his fourth team in four seasons, Barton will always have Oct. 17 in New Orleans.