The Denver Broncos don't have a clear roster flaw right now, and this roster was not put together overnight, despite how quickly this franchise has turned things around. Left tackle Garett Bolles and wide receiver Courtland Sutton are the two longest-tenured players on the Broncos, being with the team since 2017 and 2018.
Linebacker Justin Strnad was drafted back in 2020, and other cornerstone players like Patrick Surtain and Quinn Meinerz were drafted in 2021. My point here is that this group was put together with a ton of savvy, smart roster moves over the years, and it's created a beast of a group that could win it all in 2026.
However, there might be one major problem with such a talented roster, but at the same time, it could also be a good problem to have...
Denver Broncos loaded roster could force some tough decisions, but it proves the front office's skill
The Broncos have handed out big-money deals to a ton of key players, and this has been a major point of emphasis in General Manager George Paton's tenure. The Broncos have prioritized drafting and developing, and not every team can say they've hit on as many draft picks as Denver has.
This has led to a ton of players receiving deals, namely Surtain, Meinerz, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Luke Wattenberg, Bolles, and Sutton. Furthermore, some of the recent free agency moves have been top-tier, namely signing guys like Talanoa Hufanga, Zach Allen, and even DJ Jones to big-time deals.
The Broncos do have an advantageous window with Bo Nix being on his rookie deal, but no NFL team, even the ones that are run the best, can pay every player, and next offseason, things could get a bit tight, as Nix is going to likely be an extension priority, but the Broncos would currently see a ton of key players hitting the open market:
Ben Powers
Evan Engram
Brandon Jones
Jarrett Stidham
Ja'Quan McMillian
Marvin Mims Jr
Riley Moss
Eyioma Uwazurike
Obviously, bringing guys like Powers and Engram back does not feel likely, but there are a ton of key players set to be free agents that the front office would love to bring back. Financially, though, it simply might not be possible.
But this does kind of fit into the 'good problem' category, as the talent is obvious, but retaining all of it is impossible. In the future, when the Broncos inevitably have to make some tough calls, the front office's clear history of bringing in talented players could help soften the blow.
A perfect example of this right now could potentially be Jahdae Barron taking over Moss or McMillian's role in 2027, as Denver might not bring both of the future free agents back. The team also took OT/OG Kage Casey in the 2026 NFL Draft, and with Powers slated to hit the open market, the Broncos might view Casey as his future replacement.
We're still multiple months away from the 2026 regular season even beginning, but it's clear, even now, that the Broncos have a good problem staring them right in the face.
Add us as a preferred source on Google