Why Broncos Should Extend Marvin Mims Before Offseason Ends

The last move Denver must make before the season.

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) makes a catch against the New England Patriots during the first half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

To date, the Denver Broncos have had a busy 2026 offseason, acquiring explosive wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, importing multiple high-impact draft picks, and even re-signing veteran general manager George Paton.

But there's one move the franchise must make: extend all-star returnman Marvin Mims, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract.

"The Denver Broncos have made a recent habit of locking in key contributors, and that trend should continue with return specialist Marvin Mims Jr. While Mims hasn't carved out a considerable offensive role, he's a two-time Pro Bowler as a return specialist," Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox wrote Saturday.

"Mims didn't earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors this past season, but he produced a league-high 452 punt-return yards with one return touchdown."

The 63rd overall pick of the 2023 draft, Mims has become something of an oft-used Swiss army knife for the Broncos, totaling 98 receptions for 1,202 yards and eight receiving touchdowns; 34 carries for 150 rushing yards and one touchdown; 47 kick returns for one touchdown; and 74 punt returns for one touchdown.

Mims was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 2024 while also earning All-Pro honors those seasons. In 2025, he led the NFL in punt return yards despite receiving no accolades.

Mims, 24, is scheduled to take home $5.767 million in base salary next season, counting $6.120 million against Denver's salary cap, ahead of a possible foray into free agency in 2027.

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) reacts after a play during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Will They or Won't They?

To be sure, there's a major difference here between what the Broncos "should" do and what they will do. While one can argue that Mims does deserve a new deal, another could just as easily counter that if Denver wanted him extended, he would've been extended by now.

Logjammed in a crowded depth chart -- that got even busier with Waddle's acquisition -- Mims seems to find himself amid a group of other walk-year players and vet talent, such as cornerback Riley Moss and safety Brandon Jones. The club could be employing a wait-and-see approach with them before cracking open the checkbook.

The cold reality is that they can't pay everyone, and Mims simply may end up the odd man out. Circumstantially or not.

"As you watch, and there’s that balance of snaps, but he’s been showing us that. I would sometimes say look, the only one keeping him back sometimes would be just the rotation," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Mims in February. "[WR] Troy [Franklin] has done well in his second year. I go all the way back to that Cincinnati Saturday night game, and we got to see a real special performance. So we have to keep finding him those opportunities down the field. The right balance of course.”

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