Instant Grade: Broncos Re-Signing of Veteran LB Justin Strnad

On the doorstep of the 'legal tampering' window opening, the Denver Broncos re-signed veteran linebacker Justin Strnad to a three-year deal. The new contract is reportedly worth $18 million, with $10 million guaranteed.

According to NFL insider James Palmer, Strnad will get $5.1 million guaranteed at signing. All in, if Strnad plays out the entire term of his contract, he'll make $6 million per year.

Was This a Good Move?

In a word, yes. The Broncos prioritized Strnad over Alex Singleton because they expected his market to be hotter when the 'legal tampering' window opens on Monday morning. Although this is the first multi-year contract Strnad has garnered as a veteran (not counting his rookie deal), he'd made himself much more valuable over the past two seasons.

In back-to-back offseasons, the Broncos were able to re-sign Strnad at a relative discount on consecutive one-year deals. After starting 16 games over the past two years for a playoff team that has become high-profile, Strnad may have been able to get more than $6 million/year on the open market.

I say "may have" only because there are quite a few bigger-name linebackers in this free agent class, some of whom were just released by their teams, like Tremaine Edmunds, Bobby Okereke, and Logan Wilson. Beyond those three, the linebacker free-agent class is headline by Devin Lloyd, Devin Bush, and others, like Nakobe Dean.

Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) returns the ball on an interception vs. the New York Giants. — Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) returns the ball on an interception in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

That flux of talent hitting the market may have driven Strnad's price down a little, but the Broncos didn't want to take the risk of it going the other way. At 29, the term of this three-year deal will feasibly cover the remaining 'prime' years he has left in his career.

For an almost-30 linebacker, though, Strnad has relatively little wear-and-tear on his NFL tires. He's never been asked to start a full season. The highest number of games he's started in a given season is eight, which he did in back-to-back years of 2024 and 2025, playing in relief of Singleton in 2024 and then Dre Greenlaw.

Strnad's play could remain at a high level well into his 30s, but the Broncos are going to bet on it staying at a starter's level until he's 32. Coincidentally, that's Singleton's age right now, which is why he took a back seat to the higher priority of getting Strnad locked in.

The Broncos plugged a major roster hole by bringing Strnad back, a player comfortable and experienced wearing the green dot on his helmet. The Broncos did not overpay, even though the $6 million/year is nearly three times what he earned last season.

For a true starting-caliber linebacker, the Broncos are getting a steal in bringing Strnad back for anything less than $8 million annually. He knows the scheme, he's been here for the cultivation of the winning culture, and he's now played in some big games deep into the playoffs.

Kudos to the Broncos for getting Strnad re-signed, and congratulations to him for finally cashing in on the clutch play and reliability he's delivered for the past two years.

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