The Denver Broncos were simply not active in free agency. Outside of retaining many of their own players, the Broncos just did not seek the open market much. There is still plenty of time for this to happen, though, as there are some reliable free agents left.
The team could deal with some injuries in training camp in late July that may force them to turn to the open market. We obviously hope that isn't the case, but it's possible. As of now, this roster is pretty loaded, and many of the same starters from 2025 are back in the picture for 2026.
Even though there is not a huge opening for the team to make external roster moves before the start of 2026, could the Broncos look to one of their own? The team was just urged to get a contract extension done for an underrated player on defense.
Denver Broncos were just urged to extend safety Brandon Jones
In ESPN, Aaron Schatz identified a Brandon Jones extension as the remaining move that the Broncos should make this offseason:
"Extend safety Brandon Jones
The Broncos have three members of their secondary set to hit free agency after the 2026 season. They might be willing to let Ja'Quan McMillian leave because they have 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron waiting in the wings. They also might want to wait on Riley Moss and see if he can clean up some of his pass interference issues.
That leaves safety Jones. At 28, he's the oldest of the three players, but he's an important part of this defense and a big reason Denver ranked third in DVOA against passes up the middle in 2025. It would be good to extend Jones another couple of seasons to keep the back end of the Broncos' defense strong."
It is a fair argument to wonder if the team would be willing to let both Ja'Quan McMillian and Riley Moss depart in free agency. First-round pick Jahdae Barron is a huge factor here, as he appears to have the ability to play outside and in the slot, and at some point, the Broncos are going to need to find a primary home for him.
There could be a scenario where, for example, the Broncos want Barron to start opposite Patrick Surtain II in 2027 with the ability to flex inside when needed. If this were to happen, McMillian might have been given a long-term extension.
But with the Broncos actually having a bit of a surplus at the cornerback positon right now, that could make it more likely that Jones could get a deal. He's in the final year of a three-year contract with the Broncos, and despite missing time in both seasons, Jones has been insanely productive
He's played 30 regular season games for the Broncos, racking up the following:
4 interceptions,
17 passes defended
1 forced fumble
2 fumble recoveries
.5 sack
193 total tackles
2 tackles for loss
3 quarterback hits
He's actually averaging 109 total tackles across a 17-game season for Denver, which is linebacker-level production. Pro Football Reference notes that Jones has allowed a passer rating of just 74.3 when in coverage in his two years, which is another great statistic.
Jones has no more guaranteed money left on his deal and is now entering his age-28 season, so he's still got some youth going for him. Over The Cap notes that an extension would save the Broncos $4.62 million on their 2026 cap.
Whether in coverage or playing closer to the line of scrimmage, Jones has done it all, but his sticky coverage ability is insanely valuable for the Broncos, as Talanoa Hufanga isn't one who typically excells in coverage.
A short-term Jones' extension makes all the sense in the world, as the Broncos could continue to field one of the best safety tandems in the NFL, and getting this done before the season would also allow the front office to focus more on how to sort out the cornerback room for the long-term.
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