The Denver Broncos were one of a small handful of teams during day one of free agency that did not make an external signing. Now, yes, free agency is more than just the first day, and many teams end up making massive mistakes during day one.
Typically, the biggest contracts are handed out. For example, the Carolina Panthers plan on signing Jaelan Phillips to a deal worth $30 million per season. Simply put, that deal is going to be a huge mistake. The Indianapolis Colts will sign Alec Pierce to a deal worth just under $30 million per season.
Some of these contracts just won't work out, and it's obvious that the Broncos did not want to risk making the mistake of handing over a big-time contract to a player that isn't worth it. Instead, Denver is clearly in a 'run it back' mode, and this was something that was widely reported by various local Denver media members. While many of us don't agree with it, it's obvious why the 'run it back' mantra is at play here.
The Denver Broncos are obsessed with 'their guys,' and to be fair...
The first thing we have to note here is that both Sean Payton and George Paton love their guys. We have seen a plethora of former New Orleans Saints players and coaches come and go with the Broncos. This happened the second Payton arrived back in 2023.
Paton himself is also a General Manager who puts a massive emphasis on the NFL Draft and being able to develop and retain those players. To be fair to Paton and his staff, they have hit on a ton of key players over the years that have helped the Broncos get to this point.
And when you put all of this together, great things can happen, and we saw this first-hand in 2025. If it wasn't for a hyper-unlikely injury to Bo Nix, there is a very good chance we're talking about this team having just won the Super Bowl.
So, in their minds, they're surely thinking, "Why the heck wouldn't we just run it back?"
It's not wrong to think this, but some fans have agreed that they've taken this a step too far, specifically in bringing back guys like Alex Singleton and Adam Trautman, who are both flat-out liabilities at their respective positions.
It's clear that Denver values certain players beyond what they bring on the field, and it's also clear that they value the culture and locker room presence that they've established. You'd also have to wonder if other players are thinking the same thing - that they could have won the Super Bowl had Nix not gotten hurt.
While many of us in Broncos Country wanted to see the team get aggressive to shore up key positions of need, the idea of running it back does have some merit.