Given how outstanding this front office has been, especially in the post-Russell Wilson era, the Denver Broncos appear to be in a great situation for years to come, but that does not mean challenges won't continue.
The team is currently at a point where the roster truly has it all - there isn't a super obvious weakness, as a ton of positions are flat-out loaded with outstanding talent. The main issue here, though, is not being able to retain all of this talent year over year.
The Broncos did do a great job at just that this offseason, but that never continues. Even the best front offices, like in Philadelphia, for example, have had to endure some hard goodbyes. These scenarios suddenly make certain positions a weakness. For the Broncos, the 2026 season feels like it could be the one, and when you look at what the future could hold, it becomes that much more important.
Denver Broncos will have an impossible mountain to climb following the 2026 season
The Broncos projected free agency class for 2027, which is obviously next offseason, features some very notable names and some insanely key players:
-Ben Powers
-Evan Engram
-Brandon Jones
-Jarrett Stidham
-Ja'Quan McMillian
-Marvin Mims Jr
-Riley Moss
-Eyioma Uwazurike
Not only is this class quite deep, but Over The Cap notes that the Broncos will have just over $2 million in cap space next offseason. Yes, a lot can change between now and then, but this is, currently, trending toward being a major issue if not a ton changes.
The Broncos obviously aren't going to retain every free agent, as it feels like Ben Powers and Evan Engram, for example, won't be brought back. However, the rest of the free agents listed would all have pretty strong arguments to return to the team.
Sure, the Broncos could try and roll over some cap space into the following season, but even in that scenario, the team may not have enough to bring back their desired players. The sheer amount of talent set to hit the free agency market next offseason also puts 2026 into hyper-focus.
This is where hitting on NFL Draft prospects comes into play. Luckily, the front office has excelled at this in recent years, but that isn't guaranteed to continue. Every single NFL team eventually has to deal with a deep free agency class - front offices have to decide who to keep and who to let go, and it's never easy.
It's also a much more urgent situation for a team like the Broncos, as this roster is good enough to win it all, but the salary cap is a brutal reminder of just how quickly windows can slam shut. Where the front office has 'won' recently is getting extensions done in-season.
This was the case for key players like Wil Lutz, Malcolm Roach, and Luke Wattenberg. All three were slated to hit the open market this past offseason, but General Manager George Paton was able to get that trio taken care off.
As we progress into the 2026 season, that could be an option on the table, but given the limited financial flexibility the team could have, this coming year really says it all.
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