The Denver Broncos have a few players who are entering a make or break season in 2025, but who are they? Part of being able to build a winning team is being able to make tough roster decisions. Sometimes they work out, but other times they do not.
The Broncos will hopefully continue to make the right moves on their roster in hopes of becoming a contender for years to come. Well, in many instances, players have to prove themselves on the field to keep earning spots on the roster.
These three players might just be entering a 'make or break' year in 2025.
3 Denver Broncos players who are entering a 'make or break' year in 2025
Dre Greenlaw, ILB
Dre Greenlaw signed a three-year deal with the Denver Broncos this offseason, but it's a 'practical' one-year deal, as Denver can move on from the linebacker next offseason. Denver likely did this to give them an 'out' because of Greenlaw's injury history, and he is already nursing a strained hamstring.
If this is one of those years for the former San Francisco 49er where he is in and out of the lineup, I don't see how the Broncos could keep him on the roster for 2026 and beyond. Even though he's just gotten here, the ILB is already in a make-or-break season.
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB
With RJ Harvey in the picture, that could make life harder for the rest of the Denver Broncos running backs. It's likely that we see Audric Estime as the 'RB2' in 2025, so that could put someone like Jaleel McLaughlin in a really tough spot. Other backs in the room include Blake Watson and Tyler Badie, and the Broncos have never really seen McLaughlin establish himself as a consistent contributor out of the backfield.
The shifty running back might see his time in Denver come to an end in some capacity without a strong offseason performance.
Mike McGlinchey, RT
I would say that Mike McGlinchey has been 'good' for the Denver Broncos thus far, but not great. His stable play and locker room leadership are clearly valued, but the Denver Broncos can easily move on from him following the 2025 NFL Season, as they could save over $17 million on their cap space, and with how much money they have invested into the offensive line, they might want to shave a bit off.
Furthermore, Alex Palczewski seems to be a 'right tackle in waiting,' and if McGlinchey struggles on the field or misses more time with injury, Denver might feel compelled to move on and to instill Palczewski as the starting RT. The clock might be ticking for the Broncos massive free agent addition.