Why Broncos S Brandon Jones is Considered 2026 Cut Candidate

With NFL free agency soon to kick off, Pro Football Focus has named the Denver Broncos player most likely to be released during the 2026 offseason.

PFF's Thomas Valentine identified veteran starting safety Brandon Jones as Denver's resident cut candidate.

"The Broncos will have some tough decisions to make in 2026, especially if they have designs on extending Bo Nix in the near future," Valentine wrote on Monday. "If that’s the case, veteran safety Brandon Jones could be a surprising cut candidate this offseason. Jones compiled a 64.2 PFF grade in 2025, but with sufficient depth in the secondary, the Broncos could move on from him."

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Jones is currently entering his third season with the Broncos, after signing a three-year, $20 million contract in 2024. The former Dolphins standout has started 28 games over that span, notching 122 solo tackles, 17 pass deflections, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.

His 2025 campaign ended prematurely due to a torn pectoral injury, which he had surgically repaired in January. Prior to going down, Jones formed one of the league's better safety duos alongside Talanoa Hufanga.

“No. 1, he’s extremely smart. He’s a real diligent… Like he can overtrain sometimes. Football is important to him," Broncos head coach Sean Payton remarked last September. "When you put two people together that have like personalities relative to how important the game is and that are smart, especially at the safety position, I think it makes your defense better.”

Would-Be Impact of Jones Departure

Entering a contract year, Jones is due to collect $6.9 million in base salary and count $9.243 million against the 2026 cap, according to Spotrac. Designating him a pre-June 1 release would clear $7.410 million in cap space, leaving behind $1.833 million in dead money.

On the field, his axing would create a major hole in the back end of Denver's vaunted defense — a hole that cannot simply be filled by longtime backup P.J. Locke, an impending unrestricted free agent.

It's possible that, assuming they cut Jones and let Locke walk, the Broncos give reigning All-Pro special-teamer Devon Key an expanded role opposite Hufanga. It's also possible that Jones' potential replacement isn't yet on the roster.

Kiper Mocks Safety to Denver

Unrelated to PFF's prognostication, legendary ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. recently released his initial 2026 mock draft, in which he slotted Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to the Broncos with the No. 30 overall pick.

"The Broncos have two solid safeties in Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones, so this pick might not reap immediate rewards," Kiper wrote on Feb. 24. "But neither did the Jahdae Barron pick last April. Denver is planning ahead in the secondary and building something there, as coach Sean Payton focuses on keeping this defense strong."