The Denver Broncos are on the bye in Week 10 and are sitting at 7-2. With Denver in the driver's seat in the AFC West, a second division title in a row is in reach, and it's not impossible for this team to also earn the top playoff seed for the second year in a row.
One of the toughest parts of replicating this type of success year over year is knowing which players to bring in or part ways with. The Broncos have largely done an outstanding job at knowing who to pay and when, and with the team on the bye, there could be an indication that some contract extensions are coming.
Just last year, the Broncos extended Wil Lutz, Malcolm Roach, and Luke Wattenberg during the bye. This year, the Broncos have multiple players who are deserving of extensions, and if last year is any proof, there could be a couple on the radar before Week 11.
The Denver Broncos need to get at least one notable contract extension done during the bye
The three names that come up the most are cornerbacks Ja'Quan McMillian and Riley Moss, and safety Brandon Jones. The other top player who is set to be a free agent in 2027 is wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. Last year, the trio of extensions the Broncos got done during the bye were all for players who would have hit the open market in 2026.
With the trio of defensive backs, it's a debate that has gone on for quite some time in Broncos Country. With how stingy Denver's secondary is, there is a clear argument for all three players to get new deals. Let's talk about those players briefly here.
Ja'Quan McMillian
Arguably the best slot cornerback in the NFL, McMillian is not only stingy in coverage, but his big play ability is shown in the best moments. Just 26 years old as well, a long-term deal makes a lot of sense for both sides. Through nine games this year, McMillian already has one interception, seven passes defended, three sacks, four tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.
According to Pro Football Reference, he's only allowed a 67.4 passer rating in coverage this year, which would be the best mark of his career. You really struggle to find a reason not to extend McMillian. He's the complete package and deserving of an extension more than any other player on the roster right now.
Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones is a do-it-all safety who has missed one game this year. Jones missed one game in 2024 and did miss three games in 2025, not including the playoffs. He does have a slight injury concern and is in his age-28 season, so he is a bit older.
With that said, Jones is an insanely productive player for the Broncos and excellent in coverage. Across his 38 regular season games in Denver, he has six interceptions, 22 passes defended, 248 total tackles, and has only allowed a 74.5 passer rating in coverage. Like McMillian, Jones is as complete a player as you'll see at his position, and Jones has flown under the radar during his time in Denver.
Jones would be in his age-29 season next year, so while he's not old, he's certainly not young anymore. The slight injury concern coupled with the age slowly getting up there might make him less of a priority for an extension.
Riley Moss
Riley Moss has an incredibly tough job playing opposite Patrick Surtain II. This year, Moss has allowed an 88.2 rating in coverage, but he's only allowed a 51.4 percent completion percentage, which would be the best mark of his career. He led the league with 19 defended passes last year and did start in all 17 games.
Not turning 27 until March, Moss is a quality starter at an incredibly tough position, but the penalties continue to be an issue. The thing with Moss, though, is that he is the best outside CB the Broncos have on the roster not named Surtain.
It's clear that Jahdae Barron just isn't cut out to start on the outside, and Kris Abrams-Draine is definitely a bit undersized and has been a backup his entire career. While Moss can be a frustrating player at times, the Broncos secondary has looked considerably worse when Moss hasn't played.
Moss and McMillian are likely more deserving of contract extensions at the moment, as it is a lot easier to field a formidable safety room than it is a CB room.
And it's not that Jones isn't good - he is, but given the situation with the defense, Denver getting a deal done with McMillian should be a top priority, and working to extend Moss should also be high on the to-do list.
And as for Mims, while his return abilities are elite, he's not made a consistent enough impact on offense thus far. I suppose if Denver and Mims can find a number that works best for both sides, a deal should be done, but this is mostly a special teams player we're talking about, so Mims could end up being much less of a priority than the three defensive backs we just talked about.
Add us as a preferred source on Google