ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- In the pre-dawn hours of a workday morning, the nine lanes of a swimming pool at a recreation center in south suburban Denver are filled with high-level swimmers gliding effortlessly through the water.
Among them is an unassuming 27-year-old man who quietly looks to find a spot among the familiar faces.
Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones has a full allotment of football work that awaits when he emerges from the water -- in the weight room, on the field and in the meeting rooms at the team's complex a short distance away. But the morning is for the swimming pool and the repetitive drumbeat of his hands and arms slicing through the water to help his mind and body.
"I've got my rec center membership, me and all of the other crazy people up at 5 a.m. who swim," Jones said. "Sometimes, I get some looks, like 'why is this guy here?' But they have skills, if you're up at 5 you're serious about swimming and there are a lot of good swimmers. Maybe they look at me like 'this guy sucks', but when you've got nine lanes and every lane is filled up at 5 a.m., you know they're all about it."
Jones was the first outside free agent the Broncos signed in 2024, inking an under-the-radar, three-year, $20 million deal in the initial hours of free agency. But it's no coincidence his understated, yet resolute, approach to all things football -- from on-field exploits and water training to helping new teammates navigate the city -- has made him a foundational part of Denver's defense.
Last season, Jones led the Broncos with 118 tackles, beating his previous career best by 35, which is exactly what the Broncos needed after linebacker Alex Singleton suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3. Entering Sunday's game at the Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m. ET, Lincoln Financial Field, CBS), Jones is tied with fellow safety Talanoa Hufanga for second on the team in tackles (28), only behind Singleton. Jones is also tied for second in passes defensed, has the team's only interception and is among the team leaders in hours spent on task.
"[Jones is] just so focused on what he needs to do," Hufanga said. "I was talking with him in training camp and I find out he swims before he even gets here. ... That's amazing. But he's there for us. He just has a feel for everything going on around him in the quiet way."
When he signed with the Broncos this past March, Hufanga said he had the usual bouts of uncertainty players feel when signing with a new team. Searching for a house, schools for children, workout facilities, all the things that were seamless parts of their daily routines in their former homes become question marks when switching cities.
And Hufanga said the first person who reached out to help provide answers was Jones.
"I think the cool thing about it is the first week I got here, he's like, 'Hey, do you want to get work in?' And 'what do you need, you have questions about where to go, what to do?' And there was no hesitation," Hufanga said. "It wasn't like, 'Hey, you're new, I've got my own things to worry about and you're on this by yourself.' He just showed you, shows us, we're in this together. And I'm not sure he ever gets tired."
Jones seems to be on a quest to fill his days with as much as he can before he does get exhausted. Broncos coach Sean Payton has said Jones' diligence with all things football is something the coaching staff tries to keep an eye on.
"He can overtrain sometimes," Payton said. "But football is important to him."
Jones' swimming is an extension of the importance he places on football. He initially started it as a reaction to the overtraining worries that others had, that his diligence would affect how he plays in games or potentially expose him to more injuries.
So, what used to be extra cardiovascular work on the field or in the weight room evolved into the early-morning swim sessions. It was a physical compromise of sorts for all involved after a lot of thought.
"I have people who tell me -- I guess I'm not the best with advice when people try to tell me 'oh, that you're doing too much,'" Jones said. "Because I feel like I know myself, my body, better than anyone else.
"As I'm getting older, I am realizing I can't always do things as much, or the same, as I did in college, or when I first came in the league. Something's got to give somewhere, so swimming was a good solution, one that works for me and keeps me where I want to be."
Like his pool strokes, there's a rhythm to Jones' process as he contemplates how everything in his life fits together. Of how he wants the season, his career, or even the rest of the day, to go.
He pauses to gather his thoughts and form his words as he creates the answer.
"I think no matter what age I was ... I was looking for some type of edge. When I was going through the draft, I put together a binder on all of the teams," Jones said. "If I'm healthy, if it's extra conditioning, working on your craft. I guess I just feel like you're never there. There's always room to keep going. I really believe that, I do, 100%. But that said, I'll admit I'm definitely still trying to figure it out."