Former Broncos safety Caden Sterns says goodbye to football

Former Denver Broncos safety Caden Sterns is calling it a career.

Sterns announced his goodbye to football on social media on Thursday, sharing a heartfelt message about the game he’ll “forever love and cherish.”

Goodbye Football.

Well, damn. Crazy to say it’s been 2+ years since the last time I stepped on a football field. I spent that time first trying to function like a healthy human being again… then fighting my way back to playing the greatest sport at a high level.

As I sit here… pic.twitter.com/iei3peuW9X

— Caden Sterns (@CSterns_7) October 16, 2025

That post is worth opening and reading the entire thing. It’s clear that Caden Sterns put a lot of thought into this decision, but also the injuries he suffered ultimately cut his time short in the NFL.

Broncos GM George Paton took Sterns in the fifth-round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Texas and he had a solid rookie season. Sterns appeared in 15 games for Denver, recording 28 tackles and two interceptions. He also played in five games in 2022, adding another two picks, before a hip injury ended his year prematurely.

Sterns played in Week 1 of 2023, but suffered a torn patellar tendon, missing the rest of the season. He was released by the Broncos in August 0f 2024 and then bounced from the Panthers to the Eagles, but never saw game action in the NFL again due to injuries.

“I won’t pretend I don’t feel the what-ifs. I do. I won’t pretend I don’t feel some resentment toward the injuries or the timing. I do. But I also won’t pretend I don’t feel God’s hand all over this,” Sterns wrote in his retirement post.

Here’s to wishing him the best in the next chapter. It’s clear Caden Sterns is disappointed, but also has good perspective on his football journey coming to a close.

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