5 Broncos Veterans Under the Most Pressure in 2023

With Sean Payton in charge, some Denver Broncos veterans are on notice.

The Denver Broncos have been trolling the abyss for a team leader — someone who can change the losing ways and losing culture that has stuck to Denver since Super Bowl 50. 

The Broncos hope to have found it in Sean Payton, but making the right hire for the head coach is only part of the process. Since Payton was hired, the other part of the process has been parting ways with players who weren't cutting it, much like Denver did with kicker Brandon McManus recently. 

As the Broncos prepare for the 2023 season, multiple veterans have been put on notice. If they want to be with the Broncos beyond this season, they have to perform, and even then, it may not be enough. 

Let's examine. 

Russell Wilson | QB

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This is probably the most apparent veteran that has been put on notice. Wilson has to have a bounce-back year even to be considered for sticking with the team. After the season, the team can get out of his deal with a post June-1st cut designation. While that is still a lot of money the Broncos would have to eat, they're essentially stuck with Wilson for an additional two years if they don't move on at that point.

Using that designation would keep the negative cap hit of $35.4 million as dead money, pushing the rest into the following year. That also is Wilson's cap number if the Broncos decide to keep him, but his salary for 2025 would guarantee, meaning he would be the quarterback for 2024 and 2025, so if he doesn't step up, and not just to middle-of-the-pack QB status, he's probably not the guy Payton will want to hitch his wagon to.

Wilson has to have a serious turnaround this season, closer to his 2018 and 2019 showings, for that financial commitment to be justified. That would mean he has to go from being the bottom-five quarterback he was in 2022, to a top-12 quarterback, at least, in 2023. 

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Garett Bolles | LT

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There were some trade rumors around Bolles this offseason, but they died quickly. He had a great year in 2020 but has since started a downward trend, regressing back to his pre-2020 version.

Bolles had the highest cap hit of all left tackles in 2022 and is eighth-highest for 2023. It's hard to see the Broncos keeping him beyond this season, no matter how good he is on his current contract.

The Broncos can save $16M, with $4M dead, by cutting Bolles after the 2023 season. He has a $20M cap hit for 2024, which is hard to commit to with how inconsistent he's been throughout his career, to say nothing of his recent injury. That's why even a great season may not be enough to justify keeping him with the financial aspect.

Not only will Bolles need to have a good year for the Broncos to want to keep him around, but he may also need to be willing to do a cheap extension, restructure, or maybe even accept a pay cut. 

Courtland Sutton | WR

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Sutton has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason, and they will probably pick up again during training camp and the trade deadline. He's under contract through 2025, and after this season, it becomes easy to move on from Sutton financially. 

While it isn't ideal, a regular cut would save the Broncos almost $9.7M on the salary cap with $7.65M in dead cap. A post-June-1 cit would change those numbers to $13.5M saved to only $3.825M in dead cap.

It gets even easier after the 2024 season, but Sutton has to make it there first. Also, he isn't likely to be flat-out cut but, rather, traded. The numbers are the same, but getting a draft pick or two could help create more willingness to eat the money.

The issue with trading Sutton will be the same one the Broncos faced this offseason. Will a team be willing to match Denver's asking price? 

A great year from Sutton, comparable to his pre-injury form, could see a team be willing to make a two-year investment into the receiver. A year like that could also see the Broncos want to keep him even more.

While Sutton is the named receiver in this article, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy also have a lot of pressure on them. Denver needs all three of them to have a great year, and there is plenty of pressure on the trio. 

After this season, it wouldn't be surprising to see two of the three looking for a new team or traded away. There will be a lot of money invested in these receivers, with Marvin Mims, Jr. being Payton's top draft pick this year. 

Justin Simmons | S

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Simmons has been a good player for the Broncos, and 2024 is the final year of his deal. A great 2023 campaign could see Denver reach out with an extension offer or start talks, at the very least. If Simmons doesn't have a great year, Payton and the Broncos could look to move on.

With 2024 being the final year of Simmons' deal, it would be extremely easy to get out of his contract. The Broncos would save $14.5M compared to $3.75M dead with a cut or trade. 

While Simmons would probably be the most likely of these five players to stick, there is still a lot of pressure on him. He needs to step up as the undisputed leader of the defense and play with more consistency than he has over recent seasons.

Simmons has a good eye for the ball and gets interceptions, but at times he can find himself out of position, leading to a big play in the air and on the ground. That consistency is the step he needs to find to take his game to the next level.

Randy Gregory | OLB

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The final player is also the newest player. Randy Gregory has a well-documented issue of staying on the field due to injuries over recent years. He has the fifth-highest cap hit for the 2023 season, behind the other four on this list. If he can't stay on the field, with how much the Broncos are paying him, they could easily look at moving on. 

After the 2023 season is when it becomes possible to move on from Gregory. Denver could cut him and save $9.8M on the cap compared to $6.3M in dead money. That would be as a regular cut, while a post-June-1 designation would spread the dead-cap hit with $14M saved in 2024 and only $2.1M dead for 2024.

Gregory's unreliability to stay on the field, as well as plenty of other questions about the pass rusher room, led the Broncos to sign Frank Clark to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $7.5M, with a $5.5 million base salary, $1 million in makeable bonuses, and another $1 million in challenging bonuses. 

If Clark has a great season, maybe Payton and the Broncos decide to keep the veteran edge rusher around long-term and move on from Gregory, especially if Gregory can't answer the bell. 

Bottom Line

Everyone gets put on notice whenever you make a head-coaching change, with expensive veterans at the top of the list. Four of these players have not lived up to their contracts so far, which only puts more pressure on them. 

The ball is in their court, though. These Broncos must go out there, stay on the field, and have a great season. Even if the team still decides to move on after the season, putting out great tape could help them catch on with another team. 

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