Gonna go right on out to the ka Common Spirit Health Hotline and bring on
Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith. Jonas, how you doing this evening? Doing good?
Brother? I appreciate you guys having me own all right. We appreciate
you making the time and it's good to hear that you're doing well. Obviously
this past season not going away you wanted with the starting off with the you
know, the injury there in camp and what a what a back to back
brutal day for Broncos fans in that locker room with you and Tim Patrick.
But uh, you know, you get the one year extension here looking forward
to you know, to to to turn it back around this season. How
was it this year? Was it? Was it easier to deal with knowing
that you know, you kind of had the broken foot thing before and uh
and you dealt with that. How was it dealing with the injury off the
field this year and watching the guys on it? Oh, it was really
tough, honestly, dealing with the backspy injuries. It kind of you're away
from the game for over a year and the game is my lovelihood and you
know it's all I know and it's what I love to do day in and
day out, and I wanted nothing more to be out there with the guys
and contribute to the team. Well, Jonas as a guy that has suffered
too knee injuries and my career, and I don't want to harp on it,
but there are a lot of individuals who are going through some rough times
right now. But what was it that helped you kind of push through those
injuries and not being able to be out there with your your fellow teammates.
You know, Uh, there's a saying that says, uh, hard,
tough times gonna last. Tough people do and uh, you know, the
tough times are gonna pass. And I'm a I'm a tough son of a
gun. And you know, I think that just I want to, you
know, not let this define me and once put my toughness in my character
on display and just maybe motivate my teammates anyway, possibly even if I wasn't
out there on the field. And you know, I think that's what I
what I was hoping to do. And I feel like, UH just became
a better man, a better player because of it. You know, you've
you've been with the Broncos for for a little while now, and you've you've
kind of gone through the uh, the different coaches and the different locker rooms
they've had over the last couple of years. As you look at this thing
right now and you see obviously the team moves on for Russ, just a
big dead cap, all this kind of stuff. But is there You know
the fans are looking for optimism, and if you were trying to tell a
fan to be optimistic about this season, what would you tell them right now?
I mean, I don't think there's too much you can say. I
think the thing is you can only talk and say as much as he wants.
I think you have to go out there and do something. But I
mean, I think if you were looking at optimism, I think we have
the right guy leadership, and I think that's coach Payton. I think that
all he wants to do is win. You can see it every day with
the moves that he makes in the with everything, and he wants to win.
And I think that we're going to do that. And I have all
the trust in the world in him, and then the guys around us as
well well. Joan Is there are a lot of disappointed fans in Broncos country,
but they're also optimistic at the same time, and they're hanging on by
a thread and they need something to kind of cling to. As far as
optimism, What can you say about the team in that locker room, even
looking back at what it was last year, to give this fan base optimism
as they move forward in twenty twenty four. Uh, Yeah, I believe
we have a very hungry, hungry group of guys, and even now,
guys are working out in the off seasons together and we're just doing everything possible.
I'm I'm fully clear, and I'm working out with guys every day,
and we talked about it all the time, how it's not going to be
the teams are past and just ready to attack OTAs and just get after it.
And I think that we have everybody that we that we need, and
I think that the front office and the coaches that will bring in everybody else
that we need as well from Fred and seeing the draft, and I'm really
looking forward to just getting back to and getting with the guys because I think
we're a hungry group of guys. You know that doesn't we don't have a
lot of clout maybe coming into this off season. But I think that,
you know, we we have what we need. I think and I were
talking to start off the show about the Broncos developing and you know and kind
of an identity and developing kind of a you know, a nasty attitude and
and and sort of being that team and watching over the years some players that
didn't have that, watching some players that did, I always felt like you
were a guy that kind of had that, you know, that edge of
that attitude. Uh, you know, to you watching you pick off get
the interception against San Francisco, what it was a year ago, two years
ago? You know. I I think that that having guys who could be
playmakers on the defensive set of the ball is going to be huge for this
football team. Whether they have a rookie quarterback or whether you've got a vet
or whatever, the defense is going to need to be even more resolute than
normal. And as you look at you know, what what you guys bring
to the table. Is that is that something that you you go, you
guys come together and you set out, hey, look we want to we
want to establish this identity or is that something that just progresses naturally through being
around each other? Uh? No, I think that you HiT's there right
on the head. I think you come in and you want to establish the
identity from day one. Just guys flying around to the ball, and uh,
you know it kills me every day not not have been able to be
out there last year. It's my first yearway from the game fully and man,
I can't think I found a new found admiration and love for the game.
How ready loved it. But I think you know that just that like
and I look forward to bringing passionate just a defense as well. And you
know there's already guys to do it every day. But you know, I
want to just come in and add more, you know, and just be
the guy that's going to bring energy, but not you know, not just
talking by doing as well. They see you know, maybe guys see me
flying around and they're like, okay, you know that's the standard and that's
what we do. You know, there's already guys that do it. But
you know, I'm going to add to that. Jonas with that being said,
what kind of new goals have you set for yourself coming off of injury
that you may not have had last season. Known as though, like you
said, you are away from the game and you have a new found love
for the game now that it was kind of taking away from you. Yeah,
some I guess some goals I have because I mean, first and foremost
to I want to come in and I mean, I'm I'm I'm calling it.
I'm going to start. I'm going to you know, I'm gonna come
in. I'm gonna start. I'm gonna contribute help this defense as much as
possible. I know what I could do when I'm healthy, you know,
And I feel like that is to be a ball player and go out there
and make plays and help the defense and help the team win games. And
know that that's what I'm gonna come in and do. And also like a
more goal is to make the playoffs as a team. You know, I
think that that's really attainable. You know. I'm sure the front office and
the coaches will bring in the right quarterback and will whoever else we need.
But I feel like that's an attainable goal for us to go into the playoffs
and you know, the rest will take care of itself. It is,
Uh, it is a tough division. I mean, you got to you
know, the Super Bowl champions and the Chiefs here you've got a tougher probably
Chargers team with with Jim Harbaugh now taking over there. Does that Does that
put a sense of urgency on you guys at all? Do you guys factor
that in or is it just you know, keeping what you can control and
going from there. Oh, I mean I think if you if you don't
have a sense of urgency in this league already, I think you're in the
wrong profession. I think, you know, I mean, obviously you see
what the Chiefs have done, but the sense of urgency has sense of urgency
has to be there. We haven't been successful the past few years, and
I don't think that's scept would offer anyone. The city and the organization.
You know, the organization is not loosey used to losing, and you know,
I think the since the sense of urgency is high and it's going to
continue to be that way. Well, we often hear this word tossed around
a lot leader in leadership for a guy who play the mic linebacker position and
a guy who did a lot before your injury. Give me a couple of
characteristics that, in your opinion, defines what a leader is. A leader,
first and foremost has to be someone that leads by example. You can't
be telling others what to do or making rob rob speeches if you're not the
first one in the build and last one out working your butt off every day.
That's the first characteristic that I feel like a leader should have, the
one that leads by example. And then the second one is someone that is
tough and someone that never quits. Is someone that is just in their actions
and their character day to day is just tough and it's resilient and doesn't let
things phase them. I think those are the top two traits of leadership for
me. You look at you played with two guys who are or leaders in
and of themselves, Josey Jewel Alex Singleton, And you look at the eye
popping tackle numbers that you know they were able to put up the last couple
of years. Is there any any side action maybe inside the locker room that
that maybe you could top those numbers? Uh? You know, those are
both two really good players, Like, uh yeah, I mean I would
love to, you know, And that's what I was telling Alex actually Sunday
I went over his house and I was like, you know, I'm coming
for that. That uh, that record of tackles, you know, and
you know, I hope that pushes him. That's gonna push me as well
to get there and to get to the ball. You know what. You
know, here's something that I don't think. You know, fans have a
perspective on. Everyone has that thirty thousand view. But take take the fans
into the world of playing that linebacker position where you see the gap, you
see it open, you know it's gonna be a big hit. VI Then
as a linebacker you have to do what take people into the mindset of what
it's like to play linebacker in the NFL. Yeah, playing linebacker in the
NFL is pretty much the quarterback of the defense. You you have to be
physical enough to get off a block and make a tackle in the trenches,
and you also have to be fast enough and quick enough to guard a shifty
tight end like Travis Kelsey or George Kittle or Darren Waller people like that.
And you know, it's it's a challenging job, but it's also really fun.
You're the quarterback of the defense. You're making the call, you're communicating
to the defensive line, you're communicating to the secondary. You're kind of the
middleman. They you know, communicating the run, run, run whatever,
like stopping to run and then communicating stopping the past to the secondary and all
those things, all those things. Going to play, you have to be
as smart as you have to be physical, as you have to be fast,
and there's a lot that goes into it. But from the study in
the plays to studying the offense you're studying for that week, and it's just
going out there and just thinking, not not thinking as much and just flying
around and just when you see it go. What have you learned from a
former linebacker in the league like Greg Minuski, I learned a lot from him.
He's a he loves football. You can just tell. From the day
I met him, I could just tell he loves football. He loves being
a round ball and he loved me Gods that loved ball as well. And
uh just he loves to you know. I think that he likes the more
physical style and he likes to see a big hit. He likes see you
get off a block and be violent on a running back just carrying the ball
or receiver, you know, And he tells you a lot about how to
read the offensive lineman, how to read the running backs, and just also
going out there and playing fast. I think that's one of the biggest things
that he Dobb learned from him, just going out there and playing fast and
just not thinking as much and just reacting to the what the offense is doing
and once you see it going, all right, Jonas, I'm going to
put you on the spot really quickly. Let's just say you were a GM.
You're sitting there at twelve. Are you looking to take an offensive player
or are you looking to take a defensive player? And why? Oh man,
that's a that's a that's a that's a really good question. I feel
as if I don't know who the team is bringing back in free agency.
I don't know who they're looking at, So I really can't give you an
answer on that. I mean, I feel like I would look at the
best player possible at that at that pig, and you know, I guess
you would see where it goes from there. Do you are you a Madden
player though? Yeah? Yeah? Do you? Uh? Do you ever
tease Josie Jewel about his speed rating? And like sub yourself in it's the
the inside backer there to, you know, to help keep speed on the
defense. I haven't tea through about that. Yeah, his head's pretty slow.
I just because I do it. I'm just saying that. I said
that to Josie one time and he's like, you know, you know he
is. He get that that look on his face and then he's like,
well, you know, you just took a playmaker out. And I was
like, Okay, that's that's a good enough answer. He might he might
not be that fast, but he's fast on the field. There you go.
He's got the instincts too. But I always I try to trip people
up with that. When I usually get the rookies on that question, I'm
like, hey, you know when you when you go ahead, which much
veteran are you subbing out the yourself in the game or whatever? Now,
that'll trip people up sometimes. It got Katin Stearns a couple of years ago
with Kajack and justin we're both here. That's funny, man, you know
what? You know what, Jonahs, It's always interesting talking to different players
who play different positions because they see the game entirely different. Like when I
play, I would always get to ask the question, who was that one
guy who would played wide receiver or running back that I stayed up extra kind
of trying to prepare for that guy. And for me it was Adrian Peterson
and it was Randy Moss. For you being a current player, is there
a guy right now that hey, listen, I need to make sure before
we play that guy, I need to make sure all the t's across and
the eyes have dotted, because I don't want to end up on this guy's
highlight. Yeah. I mean, I would say for sure as playing against
the offensive lineman in my case, I would say playing against a guy like
Trent Williams to tackle with, you know, just seeing what he's done the
other linebackers, specifically how he just obliterated him. You're like, you know,
when I move on his side of the ball, let me make sure
I got, you know, my head on the swible to use my hands.
You know, this guy, you know, because you know, you
don't want to end up on NFL or Twitter. You know, him just
taking your head off. So you're like, you know, let's be see
where seventy one he is. Yeah, we were talking about that at the
end the day. The thing I can't remember Nick was telling me about.
I can't remember who it was you were telling about. Somebody was a Lorenzo
Neil coming around, and you had the low moment. Yeah, man,
because Lorenzo Neil was a fullback and had a thick neck and he was like
short stocking, like a rhino. So if you were not looking, he
was going to definitely clean you up. But once again, that was one
of those things. Man, when you play the defensive side of the ball,
you don't want to end up on someone else's highlight. Man, you
don't. Uh huh. We see too many people get stiffed armed into the
end of the center of the Earth by Derrick Henry. I have no doubt
that's not not gonna be something you got to worry about. You know,
you guys look forward to this season. It's your two shot, Payton,
You're you're two advanced, Joseph. What are you most looking forward to accomplish
this season? I mean everybody says the playoffs and all that kind of stuff,
But on a personal level, what are you looking to accomplish? Oh,
honestly, man, just looking forward to being out there again, you
know, just from watching on the sideline this year and it really, uh
it was it was hard, and you know, just wanting to be out
there as a competitor as well, and I think that's why I'm looking forward
to most and just being out there and just playing as hard as possible and
helping this team accomplish all the goals that we set off to accomplish. Well,
we're looking forward to having you back out there. We appreciate the time
tonight. Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith. Thanks again for the time, bud YEP,
thank you guys.