The Denver Broncos believe they are Super Bowl contenders, so keeping this roster intact is a major priority. Next offseason, they will have multiple contributors slated to hit the open market, but they need to get ahead of the curve with certain guys. Like cornerback Riley Moss.
He's going into the final year of his rookie deal, but the Broncos should get ahead of the curve regarding Moss. In an article written by ESPN, senior writer Jeff Legwold pitched that Moss should be someone to watch for an extension.
"The Broncos have a list of starters poised for unrestricted free agency after the 2026 season: tight end Evan Engram, guard Ben Powers, safety Brandon Jones, cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. But Moss has played 1,924 snaps over the past two seasons, more than any other Denver player in that timeframe, and he has held off 2025 first-rounder Jahdae Barron thus far. Barron will be the expected solution if the Broncos don't keep both McMillian and Moss moving forward. The Broncos have publicly expressed the importance of having both in their defense, but there hasn't been much movement for extensions."
Moss earned the trust of the coaching staff over the last two years, and they should make it a focus to keep him around.
Riley Moss is making Broncos' next contract move painfully obvious
As Legwold pointed out, Moss has played in 1,924 snaps over the past two campaigns, playing in 90-plus percent of the defensive snaps. In those appearances, Moss has held his own, providing this team with a solid cornerback in the secondary.
Between 2024 and 2025, Moss finished with 166 total tackles, 27 pass deflections, and two interceptions, including a league-high 19 pass breakups last season. With more experience under his belt, Moss improved his play, and his numbers on Pro Football Focus showed that.
Season | Overall Grade | Coverage Grade | Run Defense Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 60.5 (80th among 117 graded cornerbacks) | 58.0 (87th among 117 graded cornerbacks) | 64.4 (57th among 117 graded cornerbacks) |
2025 | 65.9 (42nd among 114 graded cornerbacks) | 63.4 (54th among 114 graded cornerbacks) | 70.9 (28th among 114 graded cornerbacks) |
With him playing more, he got more comfortable out there, and that's a positive sign. And it also works in his favor that Patrick Surtain II is on the other side and the definition of a shutdown CB1. That makes Moss' job easier, and with chemistry already built on the backend, the Broncos would be wise to keep this group intact.
It's also important to know that Ja'Quan McMillian is also a free agent in 2027, with Jahdae Barron waiting on the wings. Denver will keep one or the other around, but with Moss being more of a full-time player than McMillian, the odds are they keep him.
Moss isn't a perfect player, as he gave up more receiving yards in 2025 (871) compared to 2024 (706), but deciding to let him walk next offseason would be a mistake. Hammering out an extension before next offseason would be smart for this front office. Denver just gave Surtain II a $5 million raise for the 2026 season, and the next cornerback who should get a new deal is Moss.
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