Broncos Salary-Cap Update: The Books Are Clean—and Big Decisions Are Coming

With the NFL's 2026 regular season about to start, we've reached the point in which every player on the Denver Broncos' 53-man roster, practice squad, injured reserve, physically unable to perform list, or the commissioner's exempt list now counts toward the salary cap.

To that end, the Broncos remain in a good position as far as the cap goes. They currently sit at just below $24 million in cap space — to be precise, at $23.99 million — the fifth-highest available cap space among NFL teams.

Salary Cap Breakdown

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) huddles with teammates before the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's quite a contrast with the past couple of seasons in which the Broncos had to deal with a lot of dead money after they parted ways with Russell Wilson in 2024, about a year and a half after signing him to an extension ahead of the 2022 regular season.

The Broncos are in a better position as far as dead money goes as well, with just $5.984 million on the books. The majority of that comes from former linebacker Dre Greenlaw, whom the Broncos released back in March with a post-June 1 designation.

As far as the Broncos' cap hits go, they have about $4.619 million accounted for on the practice squad, about $4.633 million on injured reserve, plus $5.78 million on the commissioner's exempt list from rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper and $569K from offensive guard Nick Gargiulo on the PUP list. The remainder of the cap hits are accounted for by players on the 53-man roster.

The Broncos' cap space could change depending on how the roster is adjusted throughout the season, whether that's acquiring a player in a trade, trading away a player, or promoting certain practice squad players to the active roster.

There could also be an impact if Cooper is suspended at any point during the season. Given the status of his legal case, though, the NFL front office might not take action on a suspension until next year. However, if a suspension happens this year, the Broncos would get a cap credit for any salary he forfeits.

Looking Ahead to 2027

As for 2027, the Broncos are projected to have $24.78 million in cap space, but that's not a final figure. That accounts for 38 players under contract for 2027, does not yet include cap carryover, and doesn't account for incentives that players may earn or proven performance escalators that 2024 draft picks could receive.

Still, the Broncos are in a good position cap-wise and should be able to account for an extension for quarterback Bo Nix — a new deal he'll be eligible for in 2027. That may be the main reason the Broncos budgeted for a significant amount of cap space this season, to allow for plenty of carryover into 2027.

The Broncos might be able to address extensions for a pending free agent or two this season. Players such as cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian, wideout/returner Marvin Mims Jr., and safety JL Skinner are among the younger players whose deals expire after the season.

The Broncos also have to consider potential restricted free agents in 2027, such as safety Devon Key, rush linebacker Dondrea Tillman, defensive lineman Jordan Jackson, offensive tackle Frank Crum, and running back Tyler Badie. Not all will be tendered, but the Broncos might bring some back on one-year, low-cost deals.

The Takeaway

Overall, the Broncos are in a better position with the cap than they were a couple of years ago.

And while there will come a time to make some decisions about cap management in 2027, for now, the Broncos will focus on 2026. How this season goes will likely impact some of those decisions in 2027.

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