The Denver Broncos head into the offseason wondering what could have been in an AFC Championship Game gone wrong, and a host of key players are set to hit free agency.
For the first time since taking a massive, $85 million dead-cap hit for releasing quarterback Russell Wilson in 2024, the Broncos are free of the debt. Players hope the club is ready to spend that money to keep the core intact.
"To be the richest player ever, right?" linebacker Alex Singleton joked Monday when asked about his goals with free agency, via The Denver Post. "We have a lot of free Russell money, right?"
Singleton is one of several pivotal Broncos on defense set to hit free agency. The linebacker is coming off his best season while battling testicular cancer. Fellow linebacker Justin Strnad also heads to the market and wants to remain a starter. Defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers was a key piece of the Denver D-line, but he could find more money elsewhere with the Broncos already investing heavily up front. Denver will have to spend a bit of that money to bring back nickel Ja'Quan McMillian, who is a restricted free agent and played a pivotal role in Vance Joseph's defense.
The Broncos must earmark some of the Wilson money to upgrade the offense, particularly adding another pass-catcher to the mix, preferably a No. 1 target who can make life easier on Bo Nix -- those players don't just fall from trees. Running back J.K. Dobbins, who spearheaded the rushing attack before suffering a foot injury that wiped out the end of the season, is a free agent. Dobbins hopes to return to Denver after his one-year prove-it deal.
"It's been a great time here in my short time here," Dobbins said. "I think I will be here. Hopefully, I will. I'm a Bronco for life."
Pro Bowl left tackle Garett Bolles noted that, with Sean Payton at the helm, Nix's trajectory, and money to spend, Denver should be a free-agent destination in 2026.
"People want to come to Denver," Bolles said. "I mean, I'll be shocked to see how many free agents want to come here. We got a young team. We got a quarterback. We got the best O-line in football -- I don't care what anyone says. We do."
Denver currently enters the 2026 offseason with $27.453 million in cap space, the 12th-most, per Over The Cap, and the ability to restructure several deals to create more. After riding out the hefty Wilson mistake, the Broncos currently have just $1.218 million in dead money this offseason.
