The Denver Broncos do have their share of underpaid players, but are there any on the roster who are currently overpaid? And if so, who are they? Well, you can probably think of one very obvious player who is overpaid at this moment in time.
Unfortunately, the Broncos have a few other players who are overpaid for their current production with the team. Obviously, the hope is that these overpaid Broncos shed that label in 2023 and look like absolute bargains if anything.
GM George Paton has been aggressive thus far in his time in Denver, but that aggression does not always equal success. Some of his free agency moves have been questionable so far, and perhaps even this year, when Sean Payton has final roster authority, we could even say some of his moves have been questionable.
In no order, let's look at the most overpaid players on the Denver Broncos.
Who are the most overpaid players on the Denver Broncos' roster?
1. Russell Wilson: $49,000,000 AAV
Let's get the most obvious one out of the way first. Russell Wilson might be the most overpaid player on the roster right now, but that could change and actually turn to the complete opposite depending on how 2023 goes.
His $245 million extension ranks fifth in the NFL among quarterbacks. His average yearly salary at the position, $49,000,000, ranks fourth in the NFL among QBs. The total guarantees on his contract rank fourth, and his fully guaranteed number ranks third. Well, Wilson did not play up to those high numbers in 2022.
In fact, he was arguably the worst starting QB in the NFL last year with everything considered. Hopefully with the looming extensions for Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, Wilson's contract numbers do get pushed down a bit.
He could also help himself out quite a bit by bouncing back in 2023. There is a solid chance that he does it under the guidance of Sean Payton. Payton is one of the best offensive minds in the history of the NFL and has a Hall of Fame resume as an NFL HC, so Wilson's chances seem good to shed this label.
Who are the most overpaid players on the Denver Broncos' roster?
2. Randy Gregory: $13,900,000 AAV
Randy Gregory was a huge free agent addition for the Denver Broncos last year, and it wasn't entirely well received by the fanbase; for good reason. Gregory, throughout his career, has had trouble staying on the field, whether it is because of injuries or off-field concerns.
After a "breakout" year in 2021 for the Dallas Cowboys that included six sacks and 17 QB hits, Gregory inked a huge deal with the Broncos. George Paton must've been off his rocker when he constructed this deal. Currently, his total contract value ranks 10th in the NFL among all EDGE rushers. His AAV which is in the headline of this page ranks 16th among pass rushers.
Fortunately, the total guarantees remain a bit low in relation to the total value and AAV, and the Broncos can get out of this contract quite easily at the end of the 2023 season, but my goodness, it's been a huge miss so far. Gregory played in just six games in 2022 because of, you guessed it, injuries. He notched two sacks and seven QB hits in those six contests.
Randy Gregory has been a massive dud of a signing for the Denver Broncos, which is a shame. It's also weird to see that the Broncos didn't really do much to boost their pass rush unit until Baron Browning's recent knee procedure. I guess they are relying heavily on Gregory for some reason and are also likely hoping the young guys like Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper can breakout a bit.
Who are the most overpaid players on the Denver Broncos' roster?
3. Mike McGlinchey: $17,500,000 AAV
So, I think the Denver Broncos signing Mike McGlinchey was largely a good move to bring some stability to a position that has plagued them for years. Cycling through a bunch of sub-par right tackles seemed to annoy George Paton, so I suppose he and Sean Payton got together and thought it would be a good idea to ink McGlinchey to a contract that is worth a number approaching $100,000,000.
McGlinchey is one of the very best run-blocking RTs in the NFL. No, in fact, he's one of the best run-blocking OL in the NFL. However, he's not that great in pass protection and I think he's being paid like an elite right tackle, something he is not. He could explode under Sean Payton since it's clear the Broncos play on running the ball, and McGlinchey is an excellent run blocker.
Payton has also fielded very good offensive lines in New Orleans, so McGlinchey might turn into one of the best right tackles in the league in this scenario, but his contract numbers are hard to digest. His $87.5 million total contract value is the third highest among right tackles. That number ranks ahead of better tackles like Taylor Moton, Lane Johnson, Braden Smith, and Jack Conklin.
His AAV ranks sixth among right tackles, which is also a huge number. His total guarantees also rank behind Ryan Ramcyzk, the best RT in the NFL, Taylor Moton, and Jawaan Taylor. It's clear that McGlinchey was overpaid a bit, but that's how free agency works at the top of the market. I don't necessarily hate this deal, as I think McGlinchey is a slightly above-average tackle, which is fine and is something you can definitely win with.
However, he is currently overpaid. I hope at the end of the 2023 season, we're talking about McGlinchey outplaying his contract.