The Denver Broncos roster is as good as any in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season, as this team does have Super Bowl aspirations.
With that said, that doesn't mean there aren't some players who are entering a bit of a make-or-break year. With as many players that occupy an NFL roster, there is bound to be some pressure mounting here and there.
Below, we've identified four players firmly on the hot seat as the regular season approaches.
4 Denver Broncos clearly on the hot seat as 2026 approaches
Alex Singleton, ILB
The Broncos bringing Alex Singleton back continues to be one of the more baffling moves that any team made this offseason. Singleton inked a two-year extension worth $15 million, containing $11 million in fully guaranteed money. In 2025, Singleton was flat-out horrific in coverage. Pro Football Reference notes that he allowed a 122.9 passer rating in coverage, giving up 629 yards and four touchdowns.
And across his last 19 regular season games, dating back to the start of the 2024 season, Singleton has just four tackles for loss and four quarterback hits, so he's simply not getting into the backfield anymore. While his raw tackle totals are high, that's really all he brings to the field.
He's unplayable in coverage and just can't get into the backfield anymore. The Broncos could also financially stomach moving on from him after the 2026 season, but I'm not sure the team would wait that long if 2026 proves to be another regression year for the veteran.
There could be some potential linebacker trade targets available when the deadline approaches this year, and if it's clear that Singleton just isn't a serviceable player at this stage of his career, I'd struggle to see why the Broncos wouldn't make an in-season move if the right one became available.
Troy Franklin, WR
Troy Franklin finished second on the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last year to Courtland Sutton, but with the addition of Jaylen Waddle, and Franklin's descent on the depth chart, it's clear that he's now fallen out of favor a bit this offseason. While he does have that Oregon connection with Bo Nix, the Broncos added Waddle for a reason, and also did see Pat Bryant have himself an offseason.
As of now, it's really not unrealistic to think that Franklin is, at best, the fifth option in the room after Sutton, Waddle, Bryant, and Marvin Mims Jr. Franklin is listed behind Sutton, Waddle, and Mims on the current depth chart right now.
The main issue with Franklin is that he does appear to have a low ceiling overall. He doesn't necessarily excel at anything and wasn't a consistent separator last year, either. Franklin appears to be trending in the wrong direction.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
J.K. Dobbins may honestly be one of the easiest players to root for in the NFL, but his lengthy injury history is a massive concern that just has not gone away. Dobbins played in just 10 games last year due to what turned out to be a season-ending foot injury. Through those 10 games, though, he was on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards.
Despite his high-end efficiency with the Broncos last year, Dobbins is absolutely on the hot seat, as Denver used a fourth-round draft pick on Jonah Coleman, who profiles similarly to Dobbins, and the two-year deal that Dobbins scored from the Broncos is actually a deal that can be ripped up after one season.
If Dobbins again struggles to stay on the field in 2026, we could even see a situation play out where Coleman ends up being more of a 1B option behind Dobbins, rather than Dobbins getting the majority of the carries.
Ben Powers, LG
This one might be 'less' of a hot seat considering the offensive line as a whole, but left guard Ben Powers did take a bit of a pay cut this offseason, and the Broncos not only re-signed his backup in Alex Palczewski on a two-year deal, but they also took guard Kage Casey in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Powers has one more year left on his deal and missed about half the season in 2025 with a bicep injury. The thing here that could make Powers less of a hot seat player is that he's the only current starting lineman on the team not under contract beyond 2026, and while the Broncos do have the best offensive line in the sport, they will have to get a cheaper contract among the five starters at some point.
With that being said, had Powers played all 17 games and again played solid football, Denver may not have made two rather notable offensive line moves this offseason with Palczewski and Casey. Unless Powers has a major breakout season, there doesn't appear to be a path to re-signing with the Broncos next offseason.
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