The Denver Broncos have fielded the best DL in the NFL for multiple years now, and the unit really took off in 2024. That was the first year that John Franklin-Myers was with the team, and he's in the final year of his contract.
Franklin-Myers is set to hit the open market and is likely wanting to cash in one more time. He's in his age-29 season and might have one more shot at a big payday. With the Broncos, JFM has been excellent, and that might be an understatement.
He's played 28 regular season games for the Broncos, racking up 11.5 sacks, 59 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 26 QB hits. Franklin-Myers has turned into a great fit along the DL and was the missing piece, but he's likely priced his way out of Denver, and the Broncos have already paid a ton of players along the DL.
John Franklin-Myers could be the odd man out along the Broncos' defensive line
Here is a recent report from Mike Klis that the Broncos have engaged in preliminary talks with Luke Wattenberg and Malcolm Roach, another free agent along the DL:
Sean Payton said #Broncos reached out to other players besides Wil Lutz on possible new contracts over bye. Per multiple sources, there were also preliminary talks with C Luke Wattenberg and DL Malcolm Roach. Both UFAs in March. Wattenberg would maintain offensive line… https://t.co/J8yChB1qXM
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) November 25, 2025
Roach is another excellent player, and it's clear that Denver wants him back. Furthermore, the Broncos have paid all of Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, DJ Jones, and Jonathon Cooper. They signed Dre Greenlaw in free agency and have a ton of money tied up along the defensive line.
No NFL team is able to pay everyone, as the Broncos have other roster issues to throw money at, and with how well Denver has drafted and developed along the DL, they are surely confident in their abilities to do so after Franklin-Myers departs next year.
The team used a mid-round draft pick on Sai'vion Jones, a defensive end who actually profiles similarly to JFM. Denver also has other encouraging players among the DL like Enyi Uwazurike, Jonah Elliss, and Dondrea Tillman.
It's the deepest unit in the league, and the best at getting to the QB. Simply put, the Broncos cannot tie up another big-time contract along the DL, as they could be better suited throwing money at another linebacker, a tight end, a running back, and perhaps a wide receiver.
John Franklin-Myers is an excellent player and has been great for the Broncos, but, financially, it does not make a ton of sense for Denver to bring him back unless it's a huge discount.