The theme of the 2025 offseason for the Denver Broncos was continuity. The Broncos wanted to build on -- as much as you can in the NFL -- the fact that they had just returned to the postseason for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50.
It's safe to say they did just that. Bringing back 86 percent of the previous roster paid off as the Broncos improved substantially, winning the AFC West and hosting the AFC Championship Game. And it likely would have gone much further if it weren't for an ankle injury suffered by Bo Nix in the Divisional Round vs. Buffalo.
And the Broncos wouldn't have beaten the Bills if it weren't for a play made by cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, a restricted free agent whose status with the team is a question mark this offseason. General manager George Paton simultaneously attached tremendous value to McMillian at his Combine press conference while also leaving the door open a crack for a shocking trade possibility.
Broncos GM George Paton left the door open for Ja'Quan McMillian trade
“We’ll see. We’ll see what we do with him. We’re still working through that. We want him here. Certainly, a team could call us, who knows? He’s one of our core players, and we love having him here.”
- Broncos GM George Paton (via team PR)
McMillian is a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning the Broncos will have a chance to give him a tender with first right of refusal. And there are different "tiers" to those tenders, each with different levels of compensation for the player and the team, should another team try to sign him.
Restricted free agent tenders almost act like mini franchise tags, in a way, but McMillian is only 25 years old and has been so valuable that it's not out of the question for a team to offer something of substantial value to get him.
And Paton clearly left the door open for that possibility by saying, "Certainly a team could call us, who knows?"
At the same time, Paton gave McMillian the "core player" label, something he typically reserves only for guys who are getting contract extensions. It almost feels more likely for the Broncos to explore one of two extremes as opposed to simply giving McMillian his RFA tender: Give him a big-money extension or trade him.
And you could justify either.
Considering the big play he just made in the playoffs, and the implications it had on the season as a whole, it would be shocking to see the Broncos part with McMillian. But they also have 1st-round pick Jahdae Barron waiting in the wings. Barron played just 17 snaps in the postseason and needs to play more in year two. Where is he going to do that?
Are the Broncos going to trade Riley Moss and let Jahdae play on the outside? Are they willing to take that risk? Are they willing to take the risk of trading McMillian and allowing Barron to sink or swim in the slot?
The Broncos could just run it back for another year and see how things play out with the current group, but we know Paton and his staff like to make long-term moves early with players if they know they are core pieces of the roster. McMillian may have played his way into the core player category, but does that mean the Broncos will invest in him long-term?
Barron's presence on the roster certainly makes things interesting.