In the 2026 NFL Free Agency period, the Denver Broncos will officially become the last team to sign an external free agent, if that even happens. With the Seattle Seahawks signing a safety on Thursday, the Broncos stand alone in a weird, disappointing, and unexpected spot to many fans.
Denver got within one game of the Super Bowl in 2025 and saw Bo Nix go down with a season-ending ankle injury the week prior in the Divisional Round. The 2025 campaign for Denver was truly something special and one of the more unexpected seasons you'll see from any team.
Given how close the Broncos got, one would have thought that free agency would be a time where Denver is aggressive. If now isn't the right time to add roster upgrades at key positions, then when is the best time? Even before free agency began, General Manager George Paton got in front of the media and seemed to indicate that aggression was on the horizon. However...
Denver Broncos GM George Paton has not come through on what he previously said
Paton, in speaking to the media before free agency, did kind of set the scene for an aggressive period, but it's been anything but:
"I think we are always urgent," General Manager George Paton said. "After the season, you reset because our team is not going to be the same. We have to be urgent. We don't control a lot in free agency. Guys can leave. I think I said in January that we are going to be urgent and aggressive in our approach [with] no stone unturned. We are looking at everything."
This, once again, feels like Paton promising things that he just has not followed through on. Sure, the Broncos were moderately aggressive last year during free agency and honestly quite aggressive when Sean Payton first arrived, but this offseason in particular was the one to really get things situation.
And when I say aggressive, I am not personally talking about going out on the open market and paying top-dollar for a handful of players. I am not saying that this team should have just gone crazy and spend a bunch of money.
What I and perhaps others in Broncos Country wanted to see instead was calculated aggression, and that is probably a phrase Paton himself has said. Not only has Denver been anything but this, but they've re-signed players that honestly have no business being on this roster.
The roster has now gotten weaker since free agency began, as the departures of John Franklin-Myers and Dre Greenlaw are significant. The team hasn't upgraded the offense and has seen the defense get worse.
It's simply a disappointing thing to witness. Sure, there are still free agents out on the market, but signing a player or two when the top names are signed is anything but aggressive. If this is how the front office operates when the team is right in the middle of the Super Bowl window, will the Broncos ever get over the hump?
Sure, there is an argument that running it back is the best thing for the team, but we can't pretend that this roster didn't have major question marks this year. Ideally, Denver does find a way to come up with an upgrade or two before the 2026 NFL Draft, but it's safe to say that Paton and the Broncos front office made promises they have not been able to keep.