After setting franchise records in sacks in back-to-back seasons, the Denver Broncos are in danger of the one thing nobody expected for their pass rush in 2026: Regression.
The Broncos have been terrorizing quarterbacks for the past couple of seasons, and that has really been the one consistent identity of the team on either side of the ball. Other than being known for dramatic 4th quarter comebacks, one thing we seem to be able to always rely on with the Broncos lately is the ability to get after the quarterback.
That ability has taken a nosedive in the wrong direction early in the 2026 season, and there are two clear reasons for it.
The losses of John Franklin Myers (free agency) and Jonathon Cooper (off-field) have been much more costly than anyone could have realized.
Broncos' pass rush win rate nosediving without John Franklin-Myers, Jonathon Cooper
ESPN team pass rush win rate through Week 4
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) October 6, 2026
1.) Seahawks: 69%
2.) Vikings: 64%
3.) Falcons: 61%
4.) Lions: 56%
5.) Rams: 56%
6.) 49ers: 56%
7.) Patriots: 55%
7.) Giants: 55%
9.) Cardinals: 55%
10.) Saints: 54%
11.) Ravens: 54%
12.) Commanders: 53%
13.) Panthers: 52%
14.) Bears:…
The Broncos are tied for 15th in the NFL with the Buccaneers and Bengals at a 51 percent pass rush win rate. They ranked 4th in the league last season.
The team's struggles can be traced back to the losses of defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who accounted for a combined 15.5 sacks and 31 QB hits last season.
Maybe even more importantly, those two guys helped take pressure off of some of the Broncos' other stars in the pass rush department. Specifically, we're seeing Nik Bonitto struggle with the extra attention he's been receiving in the absence of Cooper.
Cooper, of course, is on the Commissioner's Exempt List due to multiple arrests in the offseason. He's not allowed to practice with or play for the team during this time, and there won't be any certainty of his return even as the legal process plays out, because he could face an actual suspension from the league at that point.
Franklin-Myers has 4 pressures, 2 QB hits, and 1 sack so far this season with the Titans, keeping him on pace for the numbers he usually posts pretty much every year of his NFL career.
Disappointment of Jonah Elliss has compounded Broncos' pass rush issue
Part of the reason the Broncos haven't been able to withstand the losses of both Franklin-Myers and Cooper is the disappointing play so far this season of Jonah Elliss.
Elliss has been on the field for 174 snaps in the first four weeks of the season (62 percent of the defensive snaps) and has just 2 pressures, 1 QB hit, and no sacks. We saw him getting routinely rag-dolled by tight ends when the Broncos faced off against the Los Angeles Rams.
Elliss hasn't been able to set a consistent edge, he hasn't been able to rush the passer, and he might be one of the bigger liabilities on the defense. That's a huge disappointment considering there were hopes that this could be a breakout year for him, and that he might even have the Broncos feeling like they were foolish for not giving him some of Jonathon Cooper's snaps sooner.
The Broncos need more out of Elliss, and they need more out of the pass rush, in general.
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