The Denver Broncos have one of the best rosters in the NFL, but that also comes with needing to make some major decisions with certain players. Back during the bye week, the Broncos got three massive in-house extensions done with three players who were set to be free agents this offseason.
All of Malcolm Roach, Luke Wattenberg, and Wil Lutz got deals. These moves were genius by the team's front office, as none of the three players will hit the open market, which really eases some pressure off the Broncos approaching free agency here in less than two weeks.
On Friday, the Broncos continue things with their in-house guys, making a bold move to keep the elite secondary in tact. The team has placed a second-round tender on cornback Ja'Quan McMillian.
Denver Broncos place the 2nd-round tender on Ja'Quan McMillian
Denver has placed a second-round tender on McMillian, but what does this mean, exactly?
Broncos are placing the second-round tender ($5.8M) on CB Ja’Quan McMillian, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2026
One of Denver’s top ball disrupters, McMillian had four sacks, two interceptions and nine pass deflections in ‘25 - including a memorable snatch from Brandin Cooks to seal a playoff win. pic.twitter.com/g0I2z9W3CW
Firstly, McMillian had a stellar season, and that needs talked about more. He finished 2025 with two interceptions, nine passes defended, two forced fumbles, four sacks, 56 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.
According to PFF's data, McMillian graded out as the 6th-best cornerback in the NFL, with a strong 78.3 grade. PFF also noted that McMillian allowed a solid 85.3 passer rating when in coverage this past season.
What sticks out the most with McMillian is his overall playmaking ability as a slot cornerback. He's not just someone who does well in coverage; he has an affinity for the splash play and can get into the backfield to create negative plays.
Simply put, McMillian is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL and is someone the Broncos clearly want to keep. Let's talk about the second-round tender for a minute, as that needs explained. Tenders are placed on restricted free agents, which is what McMillian was.
His salary for the season would be $5.8 million with the Broncos, but another team could sign McMillian to a contract, perhaps a multi-year deal worth a bit more. In that case, the Broncos would have the ability to match that deal, but if they didn't want to, McMillian would head to that new team, but Denver would get a second-round pick back in the deal.
The tender essentially guarantees that the Broncos get something out of this - they either get McMillian himself or a second-round pick. Given that he is a slot cornerback, it might be unlikely that a team would be willing to give up a second-rounder, but it's possible.