With the 2022 NFL season just a couple of months away from kicking off, several former Denver Broncos players are still wondering if their NFL playing careers will continue.
With mandatory minicamps starting to open, the 32 NFL teams have a pretty good idea of how their total roster is going to look for the 2022 season, now it’s just time to set up the depth chart and start putting an overall plan in place.
Throughout the summer, when teams begin to realize that there isn’t enough talent or depth at a certain position or if an injury occurs to a key piece of the team, looking at street free agents is something teams can do to fill those holes.
That may be the only way that some of these former Broncos continue their playing careers. With the free-agent signing period having started months ago, it is clear that there either isn’t much interest in any of these guys, they are asking for too much money or they are waiting for the right situation to open up.
If none of those things happen, then it is possible that the careers of the following players have come to an end.
Former Broncos players who might be done in the NFL
Malik Jackson
Played for the Broncos from 2012-15
Malik Jackson was a fifth-round pick of the Broncos in 2012 who went from a rotational piece on the defense to one of the biggest reasons the defense was so dominant the year the team won Super Bowl 50.
Following that game, in which he scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery that set the tone for the game, he took a massive deal in free agency from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jackson has played for three teams since leaving the Broncos and though he posted solid numbers in Jacksonville, he hasn’t been very relevant since.
He spent the 2021 season with the Cleveland Browns, starting in all 16 games for them but he registered just half a sack. The Browns did not bring him back and Jackson, who is now 32 years old, is waiting to see if another team is interested in his services.
Danny Trevathan
Played for the Broncos from 2012-15
Danny Trevathan’s playing career has followed a similar path to that of Jackson’s as the year Jackson was a fifth-round pick, Trevathan was selected in the sixth round. He was also a huge piece of the team’s Super-Bowl-winning defense who left for a huge contract following that year.
That contract was handed out by the Chicago Bears, the team Trevathan has been with for the past six seasons. But his star is certainly fading.
Trevathan had two seasons with over 100 total tackles with the Bears but he played in just four games for the team this past season after having two separate stints on injured reserve.
The Bears then chose to move on from Trevathan in March, looking to get younger at the position.
Trevathan is 32 years old and there likely won’t be many teams in the market for him at this stage in his career.
Matt Paradis
Played for the Broncos from 2014-2018
Matt Paradis had a great career with the Broncos when you consider he was a sixth-round pick just hoping to be a practice squad guy when he was drafted.
The Broncos had players such as Manny Ramirez, Will Montgomery and Gino Gradkowski all on the roster ahead of Paradis at various times, but when they moved on from each of them, Paradis was made the starting center ahead of the 2015 season.
He did not waste that opportunity, becoming the last ever center to play with Peyton Manning before the team won Super Bowl 50.
The Broncos kept Paradis around as long as they could on one-year deals but ahead of the 2019 season, and looking for a long-term deal, Paradis found a match with the Carolina Panthers.
He played for the Panthers in each of the last three seasons but suffered a torn ACL last November. The fact he is still waiting for another team to come calling is likely at least in part due to that.
But that won’t be the Panthers, who signed Bradley Bozeman to a one-year deal in March and they still have Pat Elflein on their roster.
Paradis is 32 years old and would need to prove that he is fully recovered from last year’s season-ending injury before a team was willing to look at him. And if a team is interested in the services of a veteran center, J.C. Tretter is still out there as well.
Chris Harris
Played for the Broncos from 2011-19
One of the most well-liked players in team history, Chris Harris was also one of the best cornerbacks that ever played in Denver.
Sadly, the NFL is always a business first. The Broncos made a business decision by trading for A.J. Bouye ahead of the 2020 season, a clear sign that they were ready to move on from Harris.
Harris chose to sign a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers not long after. However, he never looked like the same player that he was in Denver. Harris played in just 23 total games for the Chargers and had an interception in each season.
But with his contract expiring, the Chargers went in a different direction, handing a big contract to J.C. Jackson this offseason. They also drafted Asante Samuel in the second round last year and signed former Broncos defensive back Bryce Callahan this offseason.
At 32 years old, Harris would likely only want to play for a contender at this point in his career, and if one of those teams becomes needy at the cornerback position this summer, he could be called upon. But it is also entirely likely that his career has seen its sunset.
Alexander Johnson
Played for the Broncos from 2018-2021
Alexander Johnson was a fun player to watch for the Broncos for the past four seasons. His is a story of hard work and perseverance as well.
Johnson faced some serious charges while in college at Tennessee, charges that threatened to derail his football career. But when he was acquitted of those charges, he resumed his playing career and it was the Broncos who took a shot on him.
He went from a practice squad player to one of the best players on the team’s defense. He had 120 tackles in 2020.
But a torn pectoral shut down his 2021 season after just six games and the Broncos, at least to this point, have chosen not to bring him back. The Broncos had three inside linebackers hitting free agency this offseason and the only one that has been re-signed is Josey Jewell.
I made the argument to bring back Johnson and quite frankly am a little surprised that there isn’t a team that has been willing to give him a shot.
But because Johnson’s career got off to a bit of a late start, he is now 30 years old and coming off of a serious injury. He may be waiting for the right landing spot, be asking for too much money, or there simply may not be a lot of interest in him at this point.
Emmanuel Sanders
Played for the Broncos from 2014-2019
Emmanuel Sanders has played for five NFL teams but his greatest success came from his time with the Broncos where he ranks seventh on the team’s all-time receptions list.
He caught 404 passes for 5,361 yards and 28 touchdowns in his six seasons with the team which included two trips to the Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl ring.
The Broncos chose to trade Sanders ahead of the trade deadline in 2019, sending him to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft.
Sanders most recently played for the Buffalo Bills last season where he caught 42 passes for 626 yards and four touchdowns. But the Bills have a young up-and-coming star in Gabriel Davis and they also signed Jamison Crowder this offseason to go with Stefon Diggs, one of the best receivers in the league.
There is just not a lot of room for a 35-year-old wide receiver, which is what Sanders now is.
Like Harris, Sanders is most likely only going to want to continue his career with a team that he thinks can contend for a Super Bowl.
The Dallas Cowboys are not exactly deep at wide receiver and Sanders was born in Texas. That’s the kind of spot you could see him end up in if his career is indeed not over.