After a heartbreaking 10-7 loss on Sunday, the Broncos’ magical season has come to an abrupt end. While it wasn’t the result any Bronco fan wanted, the foundation for the future has been laid for a team — and city. Both have been striving for success for the past decade.
While the young stars Denver has are going to be the core of Mile High moving forward, what also helps the Broncos’ outlook is the ample amount of cap space opening up for the rest of the roster.
Losing Key Pieces
Let’s start with the unfortunate truth — this Broncos squad, as we know it, will most likely never be the same. Come March, key pieces like Alex Singleton, Ja’Quan McMillian and J.K. Dobbins will all be either restricted or unrestricted free agents. It’s undeniable that Denver is going to lose a handful of assets during this long offseason. At the same time, though, this flexibility opens up new opportunities for new faces.
Russell Wilson’s daunting five-year, 245 million dollar contract extension is finally coming off the books this offseason. This was a commitment that has financially limited the Broncos over the past half-decade. This season, Denver paid Wilson $32 million — a figure higher than the entire starting offensive skill unit.
Thankfully, McMillian has at least shared that he felt he made a leap this season, and that he plans on coming back and being better for the team.
Blank Checks
Denver has immediately become a top free agency destination. With a young franchise quarterback and a strong young core, the Walton-Penner family is ready to open its checkbooks. They want to make sure the Broncos continue to build off of this pivotal season.
The 2026 free agent class is stacked — breakout star George Pickens is coming off his best season with the Cowboys. He finally broke out after his 2022 debut. Adding just one wide receiver to an already impressive core of Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin would skyrocket Denver’s ceiling.
Kyle Pitts is another potential free agent target for Denver. The All-Pro is coming off a near 1,000 yard season. He would pair well with Evan Engram, giving the Broncos a well-rounded offense. Regardless, Denver knows their window is open. It’s time to spend.
“We are going to be aggressive,” said Broncos GM George Paton when discussing taking advantage of Bo Nix’s rookie contract. “We have some cap room.”
A Budding Core
While free agent talk is nice, there’s no denying how fun and incredible Denver’s young core is. Nix has already proven himself as one of the best quarterbacks in football. He is supported by Pro Bowler Sutton and Oregon teammate Franklin. Nix and Franklin’s sophomore seasons were breakout years — something Bronco fans should be excited about.
Denver essentially has two WR1’s. Franklin is here for at least two more seasons, and Sutton just signed a four-year, $92 million contract extension last July. Denver’s wide receiving core is a severely underrated aspect that teams should look out for next season.
The Broncos’ defense looks to remain elite as well — Pat Surtain II will remain with the team for at least two more seasons. Riley Moss also has another year on his contract. Team sack leader Nik Bonitto signed a four-year contract extension last September.
The point is, the majority of Denver’s core is coming back — and with a few more additions, Bronco fans should and will feel very confident about their team come September.
Just The Beginning
Many of Denver’s coaching personnel have been attractive choices to some of the head coaching jobs around the NFL. Most notably, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and quarterback coach Davis Webb have both interviewed for different positions. While this is unfortunate, a major part of success in the NFL is to adapt to change.
The Broncos young talent along with new spending money should be more than enough to get them back in the playoffs next season. Sean Payton is the perfect leader for this blooming squad — a team who will be itching to get back in January after getting just a mere taste this year.
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