How safe are the new Broncos?
Overall, the Broncos have taken meaningful steps toward improving player safety, but injury risk remains inherent in professional football.
As the franchise rebuilds under new leadership and a reshuffled roster, safety has become a central topic: how the “new Broncos” protect players in practice, in games, and during recovery. Note: this assessment reflects information available through the 2024 season and early 2025; for the latest injury reports and safety initiatives, consult the Broncos’ official communications and NFL injury reports.
Safety framework for the Broncos
The following items outline the core safety framework currently emphasized by the Broncos and the league.
- Concussion protocols and return-to-play criteria
- Injury prevention and conditioning programs
- Roster depth and workload management
- Practice scheduling and contact rules
- Facilities and equipment standards
Taken together, these elements represent a layered approach that aims to reduce serious injuries while recognizing that football inherently carries risk.
Roster depth and injury risk
The Broncos’ strategy to reduce injury risk hinges on depth across positions, quality special teams contributors, and adaptable players who can handle the demands of a new scheme without overextending themselves. The following points highlight how roster design can influence safety outcomes.
- Defensive backfield depth to prevent starters from excessive workload
- Line and edge depth to share snaps and reduce fatigue-related injuries
- Versatile rookies and veterans who can step in without drastic scheme changes
- Data-driven monitoring of conditioning and practice loads
- On-site medical staff access and rapid injury-response protocols
In practice, depth and smart load management are often the difference between a season shortened by injuries and one where players remain healthier through a grueling schedule.
What analysts say about the safety outlook
Experts generally note that teams with strong medical staffs, robust concussion protocols, and data-informed conditioning programs tend to sustain fewer long-term injuries. In the case of the Broncos, the move toward a more rigorous, tracker-enabled approach to practice and conditioning—along with roster depth that cushions star players from overload—has been viewed as a positive sign for long-term health. Yet football’s physicality ensures that risk cannot be eliminated, and the proof will come in how players hold up over a 17-game season and beyond.
Practice, facilities, and compliance
Beyond the core safety framework and roster strategy, the environment in which players train and recover matters. The Broncos, like other NFL teams, operate under league-wide rules designed to limit dangerous contact, improve recovery times, and standardize concussion management. Key factors include adherence to practice-contact limits, access to certified medical personnel, and ongoing investments in facilities and equipment that support safer conditioning and rehabilitation.
- Structured practice plans that balance intensity with recovery
- Independent medical staff and adherence to NFL/NFLPA concussion protocols
- Access to modern rehabilitation facilities and evidence-based training programs
- Use of data analytics to tailor individual recovery timelines
These elements collectively contribute to a safer playing environment, while acknowledging that the nature of the sport yields unavoidable risk.
Summary
The Broncos have embraced a multi-layered safety strategy focused on concussion protocols, conditioning and prevention, deeper rosters, and safer practice routines. While these measures improve the odds of keeping players healthy, there is no way to eliminate risk in a contact sport. Fans and stakeholders should monitor ongoing injury reports, roster moves, and official safety updates from the team and the league to gauge how the safety profile of the “new Broncos” evolves over the season.
How safe is the new Bronco Sport?
5-star
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration): Awarded the Bronco Sport a 5-star overall safety rating, the highest available. IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety): Named the Bronco Sport a Top Safety Pick+, depending on trim and headlight configuration.
Are Ford Broncos safe in crashes?
Broncos have mixed safety ratings, with the Bronco Sport model generally performing better in crash tests than the standard Bronco. The 2024 Bronco Sport received the IIHS's "Top Safety Pick+" award and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. However, the 2025 standard Bronco received "marginal" ratings in some key IIHS tests, despite getting a four-star overall frontal rating from the NHTSA.
Bronco Sport
- IIHS: Earned a "Top Safety Pick+" award for the 2024 model, with "Good" ratings in all crashworthiness tests.
- NHTSA: Received a five-star overall safety score, including five stars for front and side-impact tests and four stars for the rollover test.
Standard Bronco
- IIHS: The 2025 model received "marginal" ratings in the updated moderate overlap front test, and "marginal" ratings for its headlights and the pedestrian front crash prevention system.
- NHTSA: The 2025 model has an overall frontal rating of four stars and received five stars in the frontal barrier test, which simulates head-on collisions.
Key safety considerations
- Rear seat safety: The 2025 Bronco and Bronco Sport have shown a risk of injury in the rear seat in certain crash scenarios, particularly involving the belt sliding up onto the abdomen.
- Off-road design: The Bronco's boxy, rugged design is beneficial for off-roading, but the stiffness of its structure can lead to a harder jolt for occupants during a crash.
- Safety features: Both models are equipped with advanced safety features such as a full airbag system, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, and other available driver-assistance technologies.
What are the cons of the new Ford Bronco?
Loud Road Noise
One of the first 2025 Ford Bronco Cons we will go over is the load road noise for the Bronco. The road noise and wind can be heard from the inside, especially with the soft top option. The off-road tires can add to the loud noise, as well as the open-air configurations can reduce sound insulation.
Are the 2025 Broncos safe?
The 2025 Ford Bronco received a "Marginal" rating in the IIHS updated moderate overlap front test and a "Marginal" rating for its headlights, which prevented it from earning a top safety award. However, it still earned "Good" ratings for its pedestrian automatic emergency braking and a five-star front barrier test rating from NHTSA, along with having a robust safety structure and standard driver-assistance features.
IIHS ratings
- Updated moderate overlap front test: "Marginal" due to potential for rear-seat passenger injury from the lap belt sliding up onto the abdomen.
- Headlights: "Marginal" due to low beams not illuminating a long enough distance, especially on curves.
- Pedestrian automatic emergency braking: "Good".
- Overall: Missed out on top safety awards due to the marginal ratings in the updated moderate overlap test and headlights.
NHTSA ratings
- Front barrier test: 5 stars
- Overall frontal rating: 4 stars
Safety features
- Standard: Ford Co-Pilot360, which includes blind-spot assist, cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system, and automatic emergency braking.
- Available: Co-Pilot360 Assist+, which adds adaptive cruise control and evasive steering assist.
- Structural: Strong steel safety cage and advanced airbags.
