5 Broncos Entering Their Final Season in Denver

The Denver Broncos have built a good roster as they look to compete for the top seed in the AFC once again in 2026 and take the next step toward making and winning a Super Bowl. However, as with all good rosters, teams eventually can’t keep and pay everyone, which is a problem the Broncos will face after the 2026 season.

There are multiple Broncos likely entering their final season with the team, and we are going to look at five of them. The level of contribution from these five varies, but they have all made an impact in one way or another.

Riley Moss | CB

This is going to be tough, but the Broncos aren’t in a position to pay Moss, given how expensive quarterback contracts are getting, and Bo Nix is eligible for an extension in 2027. Moss has become a good No. 2 corner in the NFL, and such players are getting over $20 million per year on average.

There is also positional budgeting, and Denver has Patrick Surtain II on a big deal; he's entering the first year of it, and the team felt the need to give him a raise for 2026 and potentially 2027. Adding to the financial component is Jahdae Barron, whom the Broncos seem very set on playing on the boundary, and he could even push Denver to trade Moss before the deadline.

Ben Powers | OG

Ben Powers (74) and Zach Harrison (96). — Denver Broncos guard Ben Powers (74) blocks Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison (96) in the second half of the football game between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. | Derek Regensburger/IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Has Powers been worth the contract he got from the Broncos back in 2023? No, but he has been an above-average starting guard and one of the best pulling guards in the NFL.

Nothing speaks to his ability as a run blocker more than the Broncos' average rushing yards per game dropping by 30 yards when he wasn’t playing.

Not only does Powers's contract expire after the season, but Denver has also drafted his replacement, Kage Casey, who the team sees as a left guard in the NFL. There was also a discussion about Denver moving on from Powers this offseason, but they decided to keep him for the year and get a succession plan in place.

Brandon Jones | S

Jones is entering the final year of his deal, and the Broncos seem pleased with the development of Devon Key as a potential replacement, but they also drafted Miles Scott as a developmental option. While Jones was great in 2024, his first season in Denver, his play dropped off in 2025 before he suffered a season-ending pec injury.

Depending on how the Broncos feel about the continued development of Scott and Key, they could consider re-signing Jones before the start of the new league year in 2027. Still, they have positioned themselves to save money by letting Jones walk in free agency.

Evan Engram | TE

Like Powers, Engram’s contract voids after the season, but on March 2, 2027. He was a relative disappointment in 2025, and while they are running it back at tight end this season, that's largely due to the finances and structure of his contract, which gave him the 2026 season with the Broncos.

Also, much like the other players on this list, the Broncos got themselves a potential replacement for Engram in Justin Joly in the draft. While Joly isn’t the same caliber of athlete as Engram, their play styles are similar, and Denver could use 2026 to develop Joly, with an eye on 2027 for him to step in as Engram's replacement.

Jarrett Stidham | QB

Even after a disappointing display in the AFC championship game, there were reports of multiple teams having interest in trading for Stidham, but the Broncos weren’t really interested in moving him at the time. The Broncos love the connection and family feel to their quarterback room with Stidham, Nix, Sam Ehlinger, and even Davis Webb, who is now the offensive coordinator, with Logan Kilgore taking over as the position coach.

With that interest in trading for Stidham, teams could throw a good contract his way in free agency to get him away from the Broncos. If the Broncos want to keep Stidham in Denver, they will have to take care of it before the start of the new league year or the legal tampering period, and hope to get him back on a reasonably cheap deal for a backup quarterback.

How the team feels about Stidham's future will be dictated largely by how the QB2 competition shakes out between him and Ehlinger this summer. Time will tell.

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