The Denver Broncos largely set themselves up nicely for free agency this offseason. With money to spend, the ability to create more, and some players taken care of, Denver doesn't have to strain itself to make the moves they want. A huge disadvantage of free agency, though, is that some teams honestly get a bit carried away on the open market.
We'll commonly see players getting a bit more than expected, and it ends up being an overpay when it's all said and done. During the bye week, the Broncos were able to extend all of Luke Wattenberg, Malcolm Roach, and Wil Lutz, keeping them from hitting the open market.
However, other key free agents like J.K. Dobbins, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, and John Franklin-Myers are still players who are slated to hit the open market right now, and some recent reporting on Franklin-Myers and what his market could be would make his exit from the Broncos inevitable.
John Franklin-Myers could cash-in during free agency, but likely not with the Denver Broncos
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is one of the most connected people in the NFL world, and some of his recent reporting on Franklin-Myers really does indicate just how unlikely it is that he returns to the Broncos.
"Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker and Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers could get a lot of interest. Both have been attached to the $20 million threshold in conversations. They are productive players hitting the market at the right time, without a ton of competition at their respective positions. Whatever the number ends up being, it will be strong. Franklin-Myers' floor is already pretty high."
Yeah, so if Franklin-Myers gets anything close to $20 million per season, the Broncos aren't going to re-sign him, and his exit in free agency has felt likely this entire time. JFM came over in a trade with the New York Jets back in 2024 and had signed a two-year deal worth $15 million, which came out to a modest $7.5 million per season.
Franklin-Myers had two incredibly strong years with the Broncos and had actually previously cashed in before the Broncos. His first notable payday was a four-year deal worth $55 million, signed with the Jets. That ended up being worth just under $14 million per season.
In two years with Denver, JFM racked up 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 33 quarterback hits in 33 games, starting 31. Franklin-Myers is set to play in his age-30 season in 2026, and it's pretty clear that he's going to price his way out of Denver.
The Broncos have already paid all of DJ Jones, Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, and Jonathon Cooper along the defensive line, and it's largely been quite obvious that Franklin-Myers would be the odd man out here. But at the end of the day, he does absolutely deserve a massive payday from another team.
Denver simply wouldn't be making a smart financial decision to offer him a deal close to $20 million per season. With the team having other obvious needs like at running back, tight end, wide receiver, and inside linebacker, using the cap space there makes a lot more sense.