The Denver Broncos fell just short of reaching the Super Bowl last season, and they can't let that happen again in 2026.
If there is one thing the Broncos have done better than almost every team over the last handful of years, it's get after the quarterback. Part of the special sauce there is having waves of players they are able to send at quarterbacks all throughout the course of a game.
The Broncos' defensive front is exceptionally deep, but there are some question marks heading into 2026. The team's big loss in free agency was defensive end John Franklin-Myers, who left for the Tennessee Titans on a big-money deal. The Broncos are also dealing with the uncertainty of Jonathon Cooper's off-field issues and recent arrests.
Considering the potential that two guys who accounted for 15 sacks last season might not be contributing to the team this season, the Broncos should consider signing veteran Joey Bosa, a former 1st-round pick of the Chargers who seems to be weighing whether or not he wants to play at all in 2026.
The Denver Broncos should give former Chargers pass rusher Joey Bosa a call
Bosa is about to turn 31 years old and is apparently contemplating his football future. That's a pretty common thing for veteran players of Bosa's experience to do at this time of year, and while he may very well go through with it and hang up the cleats, the most difficult time to stick with that decision is when your peers are back out there on the field playing the game, you know you've still got it, and teams are calling.
Time will tell how serious Bosa is about retirement, but time will also tell how certain the Broncos are of their depth on the defensive front.
One of the primary issues with adding a veteran like Bosa is that he doesn't perfectly fill the role being left behind by John Franklin-Myers or Jonathon Cooper, if it comes to that in Cooper's situation. Listed at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, Bosa has plenty of size to hold up as a lighter defensive end in the Broncos' front, and he's played a variety of techniques in his NFL career.
He played for Buffalo this past season and was one of the most clutch pass rushers in the entire NFL, believe it or not. According to PFF, he registered 23 of his 54 total pressures last season (sacks, hits, hurries) in the 4th quarter or overtime. His pressure rate went from 11.2 percent in the first 3 quarters to 22.6 percent in the 4th quarter and overtime. That was the 2nd-best pressure rate in the 4th/OT of any pass rushers in the NFL.
Bosa also added 5 forced fumbles last season for the Bills, and the Broncos have really emphasized the need to increase their takeaway output in 2026.
Getting Bosa on the defensive front would give the Broncos some much-needed experience, late-game pass rush "closer" abilities, and it would probably really bother Chargers fans.
The Broncos may believe they have enough in-house to replace players like Franklin-Myers and Cooper, and they may be right. But for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, getting the type of insurance like what is still sitting in free agency is just good business.
A player like Joey Bosa could be the finishing touch on a Super Bowl-caliber pass rush unit.
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