Broncos Give TE Adam Trautman a Raise: Contract Details & Grade

We've dug into the details of Adam Trautman's extension with the Broncos, and suffice it to say, it raises some serious questions.

Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman (82) pushes off Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone (22) on a catch in the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have taken a controversial approach to free agency, raising eyebrows across the NFL. Denver is the only NFL team yet to sign an outside free agent.

It remains to be seen whether the approach will pay off, but we're analyzing the contracts of the players the Broncos have re-signed to determine how the team fared in terms of salary and structure.

As always, we only look at multi-year contracts, not one-year contracts for cheap salaries.

Today, we're examining the contract for tight end Adam Trautman, who played for the New Orleans Saints for three seasons (two under then-head coach Sean Payton) and has spent the last three seasons with the Broncos.

Contract Details

Summary: Three years, $17 million, $9.5 million fully guaranteed.

Contract Breakdown

• 2026: $4M signing bonus, $1.745M base salary (both fully guaranteed), $255K per-game roster bonus.
• 2027: $4.99M base salary ($3.755M fully guaranteed), $510K per-game roster bonus.
• 2028: $4.99M base salary, $510K per-game roster bonus.

Cap Charges

• 2026: $3.33M
• 2027: $6.83M
• 2028: $6.83M

Gut Reaction

Sep 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman (82) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Trautman is a solid pass catcher but has been inconsistent as a blocker. It's that blocking inconsistency that has led many Broncos fans to question why Trautman was retained.

Perhaps the salaries for other blocking tight ends caused the Broncos to believe it was better to keep a familiar player than spend more than they wanted on somebody who would need to learn a new system and might not fit the locker room.

Regardless of the reason, what matters is whether the contract fits the player. From an average-per-year salary standpoint, I'd say it does, but from a commitment standpoint, it's more than I would give Trautman.

My issues with the contract are that it's a three-year deal and that the Broncos gave Trautman more fully guaranteed salary than what was probably necessary to keep him. Had this been a two-year deal for $12M with $6M fully guaranteed, but with a way to get out of the deal in 2027, it might be more defensible.

As things stand, the Broncos have fully guaranteed the bulk of his salary in 2027, to the point that if they must cut bait, other teams may not pay more than the veteran minimum for Trautman — and even then, such a deal wouldn't guarantee he makes that team's roster.

The Broncos do have a way to get out of the deal in 2028, but thus far, they've tended to keep players on their full contracts if they have spent multiple years with the team. Trautman is certainly a good influence on the locker room, but one should ask whether that means he should be kept, even if his inconsistencies remain.

While I can understand, to a point, why the Broncos retained Trautman, I wonder whether they could have kept him on a shorter-term contract with less fully guaranteed money. It's those factors that make this contract risky, even if he isn't getting paid close to top-of-the-market money.

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