This pair of defenders could be playing their final home game in Denver this week

The Denver Broncos sit at 7-7 with just three games left on their 2023 schedule. As the team gears up for its final playoff push, a few key names on the Broncos roster could be entering their final stretch with the team. As they play out the rest of 2023, they could be effectively auditioning for other teams, or wrapping up their NFL career. Here are two Broncos who are likely entering their final few games in Denver

1) Josey Jewell

Josey Jewell has played well for the Broncos this year, but considering he is the next starting inside linebacker for the Broncos to hit the free agent market, his time could be coming up soon. The Broncos have Alex Singleton under contract for a few more seasons, and Drew Sanders growing into a larger role as the weeks go by. Jewell has been a Bronco since his rookie season in 2018 and has been a starter since effectively day one. Jewell has been a tackling machine for the Broncos, and racked up a career high 128 total tackles in 2023. However, how strong Jewell has played might be what ends his time in Denver.

Jewell re-upped with the Broncos two years ago, coming off a season in which a knee injury cut his campaign short with just three games played. Jewell has now put together two-straight strong seasons, and is coming up on his age 30 season. Singleton is on for $7.33 million next season, with a dead cap of $5.67 million if the team were to cut him.

Effectively, Singleton is expected to be back next year. Same goes for Drew Sanders, who has gotten better with more and more playing time in his rookie year. Jewell is making $5.5 million this year and should expect a solid raise on the open market. The Broncos need to maneuver their way through the spring with some of their massive cap totals, and giving Jewell a raise just might not make sense for the Broncos.

2) Damarri Mathis

Damarri Mathis played strong football for the Broncos in 2022, but has not done the same in 2023. Mathis was benched for the pairing of Ja'quan McMillian and Fabian Moreau. McMillian is still on his rookie contract, and Moreau should not be allowed to leave the team facilities this spring and return for 2024.

Behind them comes Riley Moss, who has played well on special teams and could earn himself a larger role next year. That being said, Mathis could be the fifth corner on the Broncos roster by training camp, and that's without the Broncos bringing in any external options. In a case where they do bring in legitimate external options, Mathis could very likely be the odd-man out in any scenario, as Predominantly Orange's Lou Scataglia explained.

Mathis is the perfect candidate to ship out for extra draft picks this year and to offer the player a change of scenery and a fresh start. The Broncos likely have their core group of corners for next year, and could also be in play for a high-end corner prospect such as Cooper DeJean or Kool-Aid McKinstry in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Mathis is wrapping up just his second year, and his career is likely far from over. Mathis played well in a different defensive system in 2022 and showed flashes of the ability to be an impactful man-to-man corner. As the Broncos have run more zone this year, Mathis struggled and eventually found himself on the bench. However, his still-recent success and young age could make him an attractive candidate for any team looking for a corner this spring.

Mathis and the Broncos could both use a change of direction and this spring before the draft could make the most sense for the Broncos.