The Denver Broncos will see veterans report to training camp on July 28th, and it marks another major milestone reached during the 2026 NFL Offseason. The Broncos are surely wanting to get going, as this team is well-built and plenty good enough to reach the Super Bowl this year.
But the one thing that never changes is just how difficult it is to sustain success for a years-long period. Front offices certainly have their work cut out for them in this regard, as it never gets easier, and you could argue that, for General Manager George Paton, the job in trying to keep the Broncos a juggernaut will get harder.
Players get older, and veterans leave in free agency. There is also a ton of risk during the NFL Draft cycle as well, as even first-round picks can be giant guesses. With all of this said, when camp rolls around, the front office may begin to feel the heat in the kitchen.
The Denver Broncos have a slew of contract decisions to make at some point
At least for the 2026 NFL Season, the Broncos are in great shape roster-wise. There isn't a major hole on this roster. While some positions could absolutely be improved, the group is better than most and did nearly make the big game last year.
However, that would not be the case after 2026. Right now, the Broncos have a slew of notable free agents set to hit the open market next offseason:
-Ja'Quan McMillian
-Riley Moss
-Brandon Jones
-Marvin Mims Jr
-Eyioma Uwazurike
-Ben Powers
-Evan Engram
-Jarrett Stidham
The first four players have been well-documented already as players the Broncos are going to have make some sort of decision on at some point. The rest could all end up departing, honestly. Ben Powers and Evan Engram feel like near-locks to not return to the team, as there are now multiple young or younger players sitting behind them as potential future starters.
Jarrett Stidham is already on his second contract with the Broncos. While there is a lot of continuity in the quarterback room, Stidham and the Broncos could simply part ways if the Broncos end up focusing their attention on the top four free agents.
According to Over The Cap, the Broncos are projected to have just under $12 million in cap space in 2027. With quarterback Bo Nix being eligible for a deal next offseason, and the team having three key players in the secondary set to be free agents, it's clear that the 'heat in the kitchen' is being turned up slowly, but surely.
Denver already has two big-time contracts in the secondary in Talanoa Hufanga and Patrick Surtain II, and first-round pick Jahdae Barron figures to factor into the starting lineup as late as 2027. With how much Denver values taking care of their own guys, that might leave someone like Brandon Jones on the outskirts.
But the secondary is very clearly one of the top units on this roster, and Paton would surely not want to break it up. However, the financial commitment it could take to retain the free agents they want to bring back could also force multiple extremely tough decisions.
At some point, the Broncos were going to find themselves in this situation. And yes, it's not immediate, but Denver has done an awesome job at getting extensions done during the offseason. We could realistically see the team doing this here before Week 1 rolls around, but even if that is the case, Paton and his front office colleagues would still have to make those decisions has to who they would want to prioritize.
Either way, it does feel like the Broncos will lose multiple rock-solid players next offseason, and that clock starts ticking quite soon.
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