The Denver Broncos are building something special in 2024 with the team on the cusp of its first playoff appearance since the 2015 season when they won Super Bowl 50. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has played exceptionally well this season, and a number of players have proven that they are not just part of what the team is doing in 2024, but they are integral pieces moving forward as well.
The Broncos have already taken care of a number of key players this year and given themselves some breathing room when it comes to the negotiating table in the 2025 offseason. Re-signing foundational players like Pat Surtain II, Quinn Meinerz, and Jonathon Cooper has set up GM George Paton with a little less work to do when it comes to keeping guys around that head coach Sean Payton feels are foundational to this team moving forward.
Which players have proven in 2024 that the Broncos desperately need them around in 2025 and beyond?
3 players the Broncos can't let go of in the 2025 offseason
1. Garett Bolles, offensive tackle
Tackles with zero pressures allowed this week 🧼 pic.twitter.com/lkAIn3NNO9
— PFF (@PFF) November 26, 2024
Good offensive tackles are seemingly hard to come by in today's NFL, and Garett Bolles is a good one. He may not be the best left tackle in the NFL, but Bolles is a really good player and has been consistently good for the Broncos for about five years now.
Bolles is set to hit the free agent market in 2025 and far be it for me to say that there are no alternatives out there, but when you've got a good thing going...
The Broncos would have to be relatively certain that they could replace Bolles's production over the long term out there at the left tackle position. Deciding not to re-sign Bolles would also put the Broncos in a position where they would have to prioritize tackle in either free agency or the draft anyway.
They might as well give Bolles another three-year deal and draft someone they can develop behind him.
2. Cody Barton, linebacker
Has Cody Barton quickly made himself indispensable for this Denver Broncos defense? The linebacker position has been somewhat of a revolving door this year for the Broncos since the injury suffered by Alex Singleton all the way back in Week 3. Fans weren't sure how the team was going to rebound after losing Singleton to a season-ending knee injury, but Cody Barton has stepped in and played very well in the absence of Singleton.
He's got 74 total tackles heading into Monday Night Football against the Browns along with an interception, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble forced.
Barton is only 28 years old and with the way he's played this year, the Broncos might consider giving him another short-term deal to come back in 2025 and compete for a starting job again.
3. Courtland Sutton, wide receiver
Courtland Sutton had 10 touchdown catches last season -- the most of his NFL career -- and he's on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2019 here in the 2024 season. Sutton has slowly but surely ascended back to being a big-time playmaker for this Denver Broncos team, and the player and franchise are about to reach a true fork in the road in 2025.
Sutton had a mini holdout in the 2024 offseason but he and the Broncos came to terms on not only one but two modifications to his current deal. Sutton will count over $20 million against the Broncos' 2025 salary cap with just under $7 million in savings if he's cut.
Taking on a dead money hit of over $13 million isn't a great idea for the Broncos considering they are already dealing with a bunch of dead money from Russell Wilson's contract yet again next year, and the savings on Sutton are minimal compared to his impact on the field.
The Broncos might just be wise to give Sutton a new contract completely, perhaps a 2-3 year deal in which Sutton gets a raise, the Broncos get his cap hit down from $20 million, and Bo Nix continues to have a plethora of options to throw the ball to.