The Denver Broncos are now focused on their plans for 2025, and one of the first major decisions the team has to make is who are players who might not come back next year.
Whether it be production, schematics, or salary cap, there are Broncos under contract for next year who will not be back in Denver.
3 Denver Broncos defensive players on the hot seat already in 2025
1) ILB Alex Singleton
Alex Singleton is the most obvious "cap casualty" candidate that the Broncos have. The starting inside backer tore his ACL in week three against the Buccaneers and did not return to the field for Denver this season. He would be in the second year of a contract extension next year but would free up almost $6 million in cap space for the team to use this spring.
Inside linebacker play was an issue for Denver by the end of the year, so keeping Singleton might not be out of the picture. He is, however, on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a major knee injury. What direction the team goes with him feels like a coin flip, but any money the Broncos can save as they prepare for the second year of the Russell Wilson dead cap.
2) S PJ Locke
PJ Locke has been a solid feel-good story for the Broncos after rising to a starting role as a former UDFA, but his time in Denver has begun to tail. He was exposed multiple times during the AFC Wild Card game against the Bills, and it would make sense for the Broncos to upgrade at this position.
Moving on from Locke would free up roughly $3.5 million for the Broncos, which is not an insignificant amount of money. On the other hand, the team simply might want to upgrade over Locke in terms of pure talent. He was initially a backup to Kareem Jackson, and at times struggled while filling in for the veteran before becoming the full-time starter this year.
3) CB Damarri Mathis
Mathis has fallen off in Denver significantly since he was a starter in the early stages of 2022, and could find his way out of town sooner than later. The Broncos could save over $3 million by moving on from Mathis, which would be a solid deal for the team.
Mathis figures to enter 2025 as, at best, the 4th corner on the team. If they retain the services of Ja'Quan MacMillian, then Mathis is the 5h corner on the depth chart behind Pat Surtain, breakout candidate Riley Moss, and Kris Abrams-Draine. For the Broncos, they can find a solid 5th corner anywhere, whether it be free agency or the draft. $3 million for a player who will basically play special teams and is a significant underdog to be extended does not make a ton of sense for a team who is cap-strapped already, and will likely need every penny to be able to spend. Mathis should find another home quickly, considering his age and now experience in a strong defensive unit under Surtain.