The Denver Broncos were on the doorstep of the Super Bowl in 2025, so many people fairly thought that the front office was actually going to be aggressive in free agency, but that was not the case. Instead, Denver brought back a ton of their own players, and many fans simply had no idea what was going on.
Then, all of a sudden, a major trade hit the NFL landscape. Denver swinging a deal for Jaylen Waddle give the offense the missing piece they've been missing for years now. The Broncos figure to perhaps add some linebacker, tight end, and running back help of note with some late free agency signings or in the NFL Draft.
Well, the receiver room get get a bit uncertain for the younger guys with Waddle now in the picture, and the Broncos are already being told to avoid an extension for one of their most explosive players not named Waddle.
Denver Broncos already being told to avoid extension for Marvin Mims Jr
Alex Kay in Bleacher Report talked about why the Broncos should avoid a contract extension for Marvin Mims Jr:
"The Denver Broncos have spent the offseason trying to build on their AFC Championship Game appearance by adding key veterans who can augment a youthful core, but the club should be cautious about making a lengthy commitment to wideout Marvin Mims Jr.
Although Mims quickly emerged as a massively impactful return man—earning his second Pro Bowl nod and making the All-Pro team in 2024—the 2023 second-rounder has consistently underwhelmed as a receiver.
He's had ample opportunity to seize a key role in the passing game, but Mims has yet to reel in more than 40 receptions in a single season. He peaked with 503 receiving yards in 2024 and regressed to tally a career-low 322 receiving yards this past year.
Mims went from being the second-most productive receiver on the roster two years ago to falling behind Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Evan Engram, Pat Bryant and RJ Harvey in receiving yardage in 2025. There's little chance that he ascends the pecking order in 2026 either given Denver made a marquee trade to land a prolific pass-catcher in Jaylen Waddle.
With Mims set to be relegated to mostly special teams contributions, it will be tough for the Broncos to justify retaining him on a new deal.
Fellow standout returner/receiver Rashid Shaheed set the market for this type of skillset by inking a sizable three-year, $51 million extension with the Seattle Seahawks. Given the rising costs of special teams aces, Denver would be wiser to allocate those resources to more pressing areas of the roster to help get over the Super Bowl hump."
There are a lot of fair points here - Mims' receiving production developed in 2024, and it seemed like the Broncos were seeing their young player on the right track, but in 2025, his production took a hit. Some have wondered if it's simply due to not being on the field enough.
In his three years with the Broncos, Mims has never played 40 percent of the offensive snaps in a given season, which is an issue. And it truly seems like every time Mims gets a chance, he produces, The most recent example was in the Divisional Round. Mims also made a ton of high-end plays in 2024, as well, including a long touchdown reception against the Cleveland Browns, and two touchdown receptions against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Broncos would be a worse football team without Mims, as he's also one of the best returners in the NFL. While Kay does make solid points here, Mims just turned 24 years old and could see a new-ish role now that Davis Webb is calling the plays.
There is also a ton of reason to invest into Mims for his special teams' ability alone. Frankly, Denver should offer Mims an extension this offseason to see what happens. And just because Mims hasn't been all that productive as a receiver thus far, doesn't mean that remains the case in 2026.
The Broncos would be taking a risk with this extension, but that's true for any other player. Denver should lock Mims up for the future.