NFL coaches, executives, and owners gathered in Phoenix, Arizona for the 2026 league meeting, including Denver Broncos general manager George Paton. He discussed the club's offseason with the media, and naturally, the loss of standout defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers came up.
Paton was asked about the Broncos' plans to replace Franklin-Myers, who's now with the Tennessee Titans, whether it be internally or externally. And by the sound of it, Denver believes their in-house options can plug the hole — but should that be the case?
"We feel pretty good," Paton said (h/t Luca Evans of the Denver Post). "We have Sai'vion [Jones], have our four guys coming back. ... then [Eyioma Uwazurike] really came on. We have pretty good depth, but you're always looking for big guys."
Franklin-Myers was a key piece of what was statistically the most disruptive stop unit in football in several notable metrics. Perhaps the Broncos are keeping their approach to pivoting from him close to the chest by downplaying his departure. Yet, Paton appears comfortable moving forward with unproven rotational guys, such as 2025 third-round pick Sai'vion Jones and veteran Eyioma Uwazurike.
George Paton downplaying the loss of John-Franklin Myers could age poorly for the Denver Broncos
Actions speak louder than words, and the Broncos' deployment (or lack thereof) of Jones in his rookie campaign is telling. He was a healthy scratch for the first three games and logged just 33 total defensive snaps across three contests. Expecting him to ascend from being an afterthought to a reliable contributor seems like a recipe for disaster.
Then there's Uwazurike and Jordan Jackson, who have flashed as reserves. The former took meaningful strides in a situational role alongside a strong supporting cast, and the latter was inactive for much of 2025. Neither has shown they're ready to fill Franklin-Myers' shoes.
It was clear the Broncos were never going to retain Franklin-Myers once news of his three-year, $63 million contract with $42 million guaranteed broke. He all but priced himself out of their range. Nevertheless, that doesn't make letting him walk any less painful, even if Paton's comments suggest otherwise.
Denver ranked first in sacks (68), pressures (213), and quarterback knockdowns (80) last season. Franklin-Myers was vital to their dominance, amassing 15 QB hits, 7,5 sacks, and six tackles for loss in 16 appearances (excluding playoffs).