The Denver Broncos, sporting the league's best roster, are going to come with some future challenges, but it's quite the accomplishment that the team was able to get to this point. This team did seem to be good enough to win it all in 2025, but now that last season is behind them, the sole focus is on 2026.
But you'd have to think that people within the organization still may have an eye on the future, as being proactive in this league is how teams win Super Bowls, so it's simply not a wise idea to consistently live in the present.
And in the 2026 NFL Season, there could be a few Broncos players set to 'audition' for new teams down the line...
Denver Broncos players who could be auditioning for new teams this coming season
Courtland Sutton, WR
Courtland Sutton has no more guaranteed money on his deal following the 2026 season, and he'll also turn 31 years old during the regular season. Sutton has been a good player for the Broncos for a while, but with Jaylen Waddle now in the picture, life after Sutton could be a thing. Waddle's cap hit jumps to over $27 million next year, and, at the moment, Over The Cap has the Broncos at just $2 million in cap space for next season.
Furthermore, the Broncos do have some other younger players in the wide receiver room who could be ready to step up. Pat Bryant is the other player in this room who has the closest skillset to Sutton's, so that could be a logical replacement in 2027 and beyond.
Lastly, if the Broncos were to trade Sutton next offseason (or even release, for that matter), with a post-June 1st designation, they would save over $22 million on the cap.
This could be Sutton's final year with the Broncos.
Brandon Jones, SAF
As much as it pains me to say this, Brandon Jones might not be with the Broncos beyond this year. He's a free agent in 2027 and in the final year of a three-year deal. Jones can do a bit of everything on the backend of the defense, and he's truly the glue that holds the secondary together. However, Jones has missed games in each year of his Broncos tenure, including both playoff games in 2025.
The Broncos took safety Miles Scott in the 2026 NFL Draft, and there is always a chance that 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron settles into a future safety spot. Jones is a really good player, but the math may not work out beyond this year with the Broncos.
Denver may want to get younger with Jones' future starting spot, and perhaps a bit cheaper, which is absolutely a wise idea considering the future cap contraints.
Riley Moss, CB
If there is one player in Broncos Country that fans can't seem to agree on, it's Riley Moss. One of the more targeted players in the NFL, Moss has held up admirably playing opposite Patrick Surtain II, the best cornerback in the NFL.
Many would also disagree with much of the pass interference he got called for during the 2025 season. Despite being heavily targeted, Moss ranked first in pass breakups, had 80 total tackles, and started in all 17 regular season games.
He was also a part of one of the best secondaries in the NFL, so we can't pretend like this is some fringe-starter who couldn't find his groove. The Broncos have made it a habit to reward their own players, but that might not always be the case.
We did briefly touch on Barron in the above section, but the Broncos could still have hopes that Barron eventually settles into an outside cornerback role at some point in the future. Given that Jones, Moss, and Ja'Quan McMillian are all slated to be free agents next offseason, the future is murky for all three with the Broncos.
McMillian feels like a player the Broncos would love to continue keeping in the mix, as he's younger than Moss and Jones and seems to make big plays with ease. It feels like the secondary is going to look a bit different over the next calendar year, which could put guys like Jones and Moss, especially, under the spotlight.
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