7 Broncos Starters Under Pressure to Perform in a Contract Year

The Denver Broncos have several key players entering a contract year in 2025, most of whom are starters. While the smoke signals the Broncos have put up this offseason point to at least a willingness to get the two or three of them re-signed, a deal isn't done until it's done.

The pressure is on for these contract-year veterans, six of whom are shoe-in starters, to show out and put up some great tape to cash in, whether with the Broncos or an outside team in 2026. Let's examine these key players.

Courtland Sutton | WR

The Broncos have said publicly that they want to keep Sutton around to help continue building a special offense with Bo Nix. And while the signs point in that direction, there are a few factors that could complicate what would be a third contract for Sutton.

Sutton will turn 30 in October, and that's the dreaded milestone that NFL teams fear. While it's not the same drop-off signifier that it once was, thanks to the advances in sports science and NFL rules gearing toward the protection of defenseless players, Sutton's age will impact a potential deal with the Broncos in one form or the other.

However, for the majority of the Broncos' long playoff drought, marked by head-coaching instability and quarterback incompetence, Sutton was the dutiful soldier. When finally given a plus-level quarterback, the veteran wideout's production climbed back to Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.

Coming off his second career 1,000-yard receiving season, Sutton deserves an extension. Throw in his tight friendship and chemistry with Nix, and it's hard to envision the Broncos foregoing a Sutton extension.

But until it's done, Sutton's future post-2025 is blowing in the wind.

Nik Bonitto | OLB

Bonitto exploded on the NFL stage last season, posting 13.5 sacks and scoring two defensive touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. Making his emergence all the more improbable, Bonitto began the season behind Baron Browning on the depth chart.

As a 2022 second-round pick, Bonitto's contract is up after this season, and the Broncos are in an awkward position. After two years of relative inconsistency, how far out on a limb do the Broncos go in the wake of his one-year breakout?

It's easy for fans to advocate for a massive Bonitto payday, but the Broncos have to balance those same emotions with pragmatism, guarding against the pitfalls of paying a guy coming off a career year. NFL history is littered with cautionary one-hit-wonder tales, and that could delay the Broncos getting a contract done with Bonitto before the 2025 season.

As we saw last year with fellow rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper and left tackle Garett Bolles, Broncos GM George Paton is happy to extend players in-season. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Broncos explore the outline of a new Bonitto extension, while waiting a month or so into the season before pulling the trigger.

Can Bonitto translate his 2024 momentum into this season? That could determine whether the Broncos pay him during the calendar year of 2025, especially considering the team's contract-year demands at other spots on the roster.

Zach Allen | DL

Allen is coming off an insane 2024 campaign wherein he notched 8.5 sacks and earned second-team All-Pro honors, though he was badly snubbed in the Pro Bowl voting. The starting point for an interior pass rusher of Allen's caliber starts around $25 million per year, and the Broncos will likely get a deal done before the preseason ends.

Allen is likely Denver's top contract-year priority because of the irreplaceable value he brings to the defense. He's a guy the Broncos will pay and not lose one wink of sleep over it.

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

John Franklin-Myers | DL

In a vacuum, Myers is a guy who'd be virtually guaranteed an extension before the 2025 season starts. Alas, with so many other mouths to feed, including one of the NFL's best players at the same position JFM plays (Allen), his outlook is much cloudier.

Myers arrived via trade from the New York Jets last year, upon which he quickly renegotiated his contract. He would go on to produce a career-high seven sacks for the Broncos, contributing greatly to the team's league-leading 63 sacks.

Throw in the expiring contract of fellow defensive lineman Malcolm Roach, and JFM's outlook is even more difficult to predict. It's not fair, as JFM is very deserving of a new deal, but in the order of priority the Broncos face, he's likely the fourth or fifth guy in line.

Alex Singleton | LB

Singleton arrived as a mercenary depth linebacker and special teams contributor in 2022 and due to injuries and Justin Strnad's failure to launch as the starter next to Josey Jewell, he would go on to notch a career 163 tackles. The Broncos promptly extended Singleton the following offseason with a three-year, $18 millino contract.

Singleton rewarded the Broncos' faith, hitting a new career-high 177 tackles in 2023. The Broncos were content enough to allow Jewell to depart in free agency in the spring of 2024, bringing in Cody Barton to replace him.

Then disaster struck, as Singleton suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2024 campaign, ending his season. He now enters a contract year in a less-than-favorable situation as a starter coming off a season mostly lost to injury.

However, the writing is likely already on the wall for Singleton. Entering his age-32 season, the Broncos could be planning to get out of the Singleton business following the 2025 campaign.

Now, if he's able to bounce back to his pre-injury form and thrive next to free-agent arrival Dre Greenlaw, perhaps the Broncos rethink a short-term deal for Singleton, but it wouldn't be until after the season. All signs point to a setback-free recovery for Singleton thus far, so let's hope that trend continues through the summer.

Luke Wattenberg | C

Wattenberg is often overlooked but let's not forget that he was the pivot on an offensive line that ranked top-one or two in the NFL last year. The Broncos like him a lot, even though there are other options on the roster, including a Payton-drafted guy in Alex Forsyth.

I could see the Broncos quietly extending Wattenberg in-season, if he performs at a high level. But considering the investment the Broncos already have in other four positions across the offensive line, Wattenberg likely becomes the sacrificial lamb allowed to hit the bricks following the 2025 season, with the succession plan being either Forsyth or a rookie draft pick.

Adam Trautman | TE

A long-time Sean Payton guy, Trautman has served as the Broncos' de facto No. 1 tight end the past two seasons. But it's been arguably the worst tight end room in the NFL.

The Broncos signed Evan Engram to serve as the top guy this season, and drafted Caleb Lohner in the seventh round, a 6-foot-7 former basketball star whom Payton seems smitten over. Meanwhile, Trautman remains the Broncos' most complete tight end, but that's a relative statement.

He's not a great receiver, too slow of foot and lacking athleticism. And although Trautman isn't a devastating blocker at the tight end position, he offers solid production in that department.