For two seasons, Riley Moss has had the most thankless job in Denver’s secondary.
Quarterbacks don’t want to throw at Patrick Surtain II, so the ball goes the other way. With offenses actively avoiding Surtain, Moss became by far the most targeted cornerback in the league in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. ESPN has described him as one of the most challenged man-to-man corners in the NFL because of Surtain’s presence.
Moss started all 17 regular-season games and the postseason contests in 2025, finishing with 80 tackles and a league-leading 19 passes defensed (tied with Carolina’s Mike Jackson). That marked a massive jump from 2024, when he recorded eight passes defensed in 14 starts.
According to Pro Football Reference, he faced 118 targets and allowed a 57.6 percent completion rate with 7.3 yards per target, solid numbers for a corner who saw more volume than almost anyone else in the league. The production showed he could handle the constant attention without completely breaking.
Moss Is Fixing the One Thing Holding Him Back
The knock on Moss was never effort. It was the yellow laundry.
Last year, he drew a high number of defensive pass interference flags, but he cleaned it up significantly down the stretch, with only one infraction over the final six weeks of the regular season and the playoffs. Moss has said the fix is mental as much as physical: “I’m able to physically guard anybody in the league.”
That growth showed up all summer. Early in training camp, Moss wrestled a 50-50 ball away from Courtland Sutton for a highlight-reel interception that drew a rare roar from the practice crowd and hyped the entire defense.
Moss routinely broke up deep balls in team periods, leaping to knock away a Nix throw intended for Troy Franklin, blanketing Marvin Mims Jr. on another deep shot, and winning one-on-ones against Pat Bryant.
Teammates and coaches noticed. Safety Talanoa Hufanga called him one of the most athletic corners he has ever played with. Sean Payton praised his compete level, short memory, and improved footwork as Moss worked to reduce the flags that had plagued him.
He carried that momentum into the preseason. In the opener at Atlanta, Moss jumped a pass from Cooper Rush for an interception that became the Broncos’ first takeaway of the game and set up a touchdown five plays later.
Moss has been intentional about the next step in his development: turning pass breakups into interceptions by locating the ball in the air instead of simply playing the receiver. “It’s a hard habit to break, I won’t lie to you,” he admitted, “but that’s why we’re out here practicing.”
The focus has been clear: play aggressively, trust his athleticism, and finish with the ball in his hands more often.
The Jacksonville Interception Was the Payoff for Months of Work
Week 2 against Jacksonville offered the clearest proof of concept for what Moss has been building toward. Late in the third quarter, Trevor Lawrence tried a sideline throw to Parker Washington. Moss sat in perfect position and undercut the route. He plucked the ball cleanly for an interception.
This was what Moss emphasized all summer. He located the ball in the air instead of just playing the man. Then he came down with it.
In the game, Moss finished with two solo tackles, three passes defensed, and the interception while playing 58 of 59 defensive snaps. He allowed just two receptions on seven targets. Overall, he has only allowed five receptions and a 49.0 passer rating on the year when targeted.
Moss also nearly had a second interception. He admitted after the game that the drop still bothered him. Early in the contest, he was flagged for illegal contact that wiped out a strip-sack, but he responded the way he has trained himself to: short memory, stay aggressive, and keep competing.
The interception was the payoff for the work he put in on ball skills and finishing plays during camp and the preseason.
Moss Is Playing on a Bargain and He Knows It
Moss is playing this season on a relative bargain.
He signed a four-year rookie deal worth roughly $5.45 million and is scheduled to earn a base salary of about $3.67 million in 2026 before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2027. That makes him one of the better values at the position right now, especially for a full-time starter who sees heavy targets opposite an All-Pro.
Moss has repeatedly said he is not sweating the business side: “It’ll handle itself out like it always has.” Still, a strong finish to this contract year would almost certainly push his next deal well into the mid-teens per year.
Denver’s Cap Crunch Could Force a Tough Decision on Moss
Most extension talk has centered around three years and $45–55 million, a number that could climb if he sustains this level of play. For context, starting outside corner money currently begins in the mid-teens per year. A strong 2026 would put Moss firmly in that conversation.
The complication is everyone else Denver has to pay. Surtain is already on a big long-term deal, and nickel Ja’Quan McMillian is also heading toward free agency. Paying multiple high-end corners would tie up a significant chunk of the salary cap.
That is where 2025 first-rounder Jahdae Barron enters the picture. He has seen limited snaps so far and has been used in multiple roles (outside, nickel, dime). Barron remains under team control for several more years if the fifth-year option is exercised, making him the cheaper long-term option, but also the unproven one.
For now, the focus stays on the field. The Rams arrive for Sunday Night Football with a potent offense that will test every part of Denver’s secondary. Another strong showing from Moss would only reinforce what the first two weeks and a strong training camp have already suggested: the Broncos’ No. 2 corner is no longer just filling a spot opposite Surtain. He is making plays that change games.
Keep doing that, and the question of whether Denver can afford to keep him will quickly become whether they can afford to let him walk.
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