Broncos 2026 Free Agents: Biggest Names Set to Hit Open Market

The Broncos fell short of reaching the Super Bowl after falling to the Patriots,10-7, on a snowy day in Denver.

With the Broncos’ season coming to an end, they’ll now be tasked with looking toward the offseason. From filling roster holes to deciding what free agents they’ll re-sign, the Bronco have a busy offseason ahead as they look to make the moves necessary to remain atop the AFC West.

Before taking a look at the Broncos’ free agents, here’s a brief explainer on the different types of NFL free agents.

Unrestricted free agent: Any player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract. They are free to negotiate and sign with any team.
Restricted free agent: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them a qualifying offer—a.k.a. tenders—that come with the Right of First Refusal and/or draft-pick compensation. If the tender is withdrawn by a team, the RFA becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Exclusive rights free agent: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum, the player cannot negotiate with other teams.

What the loss means for Broncos

The Broncos took strong steps forward this season by moving from the No. 7 seed to earning the AFC West crown, No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Denver advanced to the AFC championship game, but were unable to get past the Patriots as snow flurried down on Mile High Stadium. Though the Broncos have several reasons to be proud of this season, they’ll likely feel unsatisfied after coming so close to a Super Bowl appearance. The Broncos should head into the offseason and next season extra motivated after falling short of their goals and potential this postseason.

Broncos 2026 free agents

Fortunately for the Broncos, many of their cornerstone players—particularly on their No. 2 ranked defense—are under contract for at least another season. The Broncos will be in good position to make a run in the AFC, though it wouldn’t hurt to add some more skill-position talent.

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ key free agents this upcoming spring.

DL John Franklin-Myers

Broncos, John Franklin-Myers, NFL. — Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers is set to become a free agent this spring. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers is slated to hit free agency after spending the last two seasons with the Broncos. A fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2018, Franklin-Myers joined the Jets off of waivers in 2019 and signed a four-year, $55 million extension with New York in 2021. The Jets traded Franklin-Myers to the Broncos in 2024, and he’s been a key starter for a defensive line that racked up a league-high 68 sacks this season. Franklin-Myers contributed with 7.5 of those sacks.

LB Alex Singleton

Alex Singleton, Broncos. — Linebacker Alex Singleton has been a key member of the Broncos defense over the last four years. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Linebacker Alex Singleton will also be a free agent this offseason. The 32-year-old joined the Broncos back in 2022 and signed a three-year extension with Denver in 2023 that is set to expire this offseason. Singleton was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the 2025 season, and returned to play after the cancerous tumor was removed via surgery. He missed only one game and finished the regular season with 135 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and four pass breakups.

RB J.K. Dobbins

J.K. Dobbins, Broncos. — J.K. Dobbins is in his first season with Denver. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Running back J.K. Dobbins is the Broncos’ top free agent on the offensive side of the ball. Dobbins, who joined Denver on a one-year deal in June, has been out since early November with a Lisfranc injury. Dobbins has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but was very productive for the Broncos before his injury, rushing for 772 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.

Unrestricted free agents:

DL John Franklin-Myers
LB Alex Singleton
TE Adam Trautman
S P.J. Locke
LB Justin Strnad
RB J.K. Dobbins
FB Michael Burton
LT Geron Christian
TE Marcedes Lewis
QB Sam Ehlinger
WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
S Delarrin Turner-Yell

Restricted free agents:

DL Matt Henningsen
CB Ja’Quan McMillian
TE Lucas Krull
LT Alex Palczewski
RB Jaleel McLaughlin
TE Nate Adkins

Exclusive rights free agents:

RB Tyler Badie
DL Jordan Jackson
EDGE Dondrea Tillman
S Devon Key

Broncos Potential Contract Casualties

Jarrett Stidham, Broncos. — Jarrett Stidham is in his third season as the Broncos’ backup quarterback. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On top of their pending free agents, the Broncos could also look to release players carrying large cap hits heading into 2026. Here’s a look at potential cut candidates based on what they're set to be owed next season (via OverTheCap):

QB Jarrett Stidham ($6.5 million)
TE Evan Engram ($11.5 million)
S Brandon Jones ($6.75 million)

Broncos Retirement Candidates

Marcedes Lewis, NFL, Broncos. — Marcedes Lewis has continued playing tight end into his 40s. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tight end Marcedes Lewis is one of Bronco that could realistically choose to hang it up this season. The 41-year-old is in his 20th and has already set NFL records by playing a record 290 games at tight end and also being the oldest tight end to play in the league. Lewis joined the Broncos’ practice squad in late October and has rotated between the practice squad and active roster this season.

Broncos Trade Candidates

With a number of Broncos already slated to hit free agency, Denver does not have any obvious trade candidates entering the offseason. The Broncos did land an extra fourth-round pick in August by trading wide receiver Devaughn Vele to the Saints, and could use that to help make another trade if they so choose, whether on draft day or another point of the offseason.