2 moves Broncos must make to clear salary cap space in 2026 NFL offseason

The Denver Broncos are coming off a fantastic season. After earning the No. 1 seed, the team lost by just three points in the AFC Championship Game. Even that defeat can be blamed on a severe snowstorm that stunted all offense in the game and the team’s starting quarterback being unavailable after Bo Nix broke his ankle in the Divisional Round.

Had he been active against the New England Patriots, things could have been much different. Who knows, the Broncos may have even challenged the Seattle Seahawks much more than the Patriots did in Super Bowl 60.

With how close they were to the top, the Broncos need to make the moves that will get them to the next level. Russell Wilson’s disastrous contract is finally going off the books, so the team should have some spending money to do so. The Broncos cut Wilson, which led to the most dead money on a deal in NFL history, and $32 million of that dead money was charged to the Broncos last year.

Now, the Broncos have over $26 million in cap space to pursue free agents this offseason.

There is a solid crop of external free agents who would fit in Denver. John Franklin-Meyers, one of the Broncos’ most productive players over the past two seasons, is also set to hit the open market, and the team would love to bring him back. So, what other moves could Denver make to free up cap space?

The Broncos could release Brandon Jones

Brandon Jones has been a key piece of a Broncos’ defense that has been one of the best units in the NFL over the past two seasons. He had 115 tackles and three interceptions en route to being the fifth-highest-ranked safety according to PFF in 2024. Jones’ numbers weren’t as lofty in 2025, as Talanoa Hufanga took over as the top safety playmaker on the roster.

Jones ended up getting hurt in Week 15 and was forced to miss the rest of the season. However, the defense didn’t take a step back with P.J. Locke taking on a bigger role. While Jones could still be a key part of the team in 2026, if the Broncos feel desperate to create cap space, Jones now seems more expendable.

Hufanga bucked the injury bug to re-establish himself as an All-Pro safety in his first season with Denver. The Broncos have plenty of other defensive backs, too. Patrick Surtain is a recent Defensive Player of the Year winner, and although Riley Moss was targeted and flagged often, teams really didn’t complete passes on him very often this past year. Jahdae Barron is also the team’s most recent first-round pick, and Ja’Quan McMillian is one of the best slot corners in the NFL.

Jones is set to count for $9.2 million against the cap next season. Releasing him would result in just a $1.8 million dead cap hit. That is the smallest dead hit of any of Denver’s 15 most expensive players. In all likelihood, Jones will return to an important starting role next season, but his injury and financial situation make him a logical cap-saving candidate.

The Broncos might need to move on from Jarrett Stidham

Jarrett Stidham has Sean Payton’s trust. He was always viewed as one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL before he was thrust into a starting role in the Broncos most important game in a decade, too. Unfortunately, Stidham didn’t play hero. He couldn’t get the offense going for most of the game, and he made some very questionable and costly decisions.

Against the Patriots, Stidham attempted a chest pass that was ruled a backward pass that was recovered by New England. He also threw the game away with a late, inexcusable interception that proved to be the nail in the coffin. Stidham’s circumstances were far from ideal. He played the entire season as a backup, and anybody would have struggled in those weather conditions. He actually had better passing stats than Drake Maye, who was an MVP candidate.

Even so, it left a sour taste in the mouths of Broncos fans that may prevent the team from ever trusting him again. Stidham is set to make $8 million next season, but the dead money on his contract is just $3.5 million. The Broncos may decide to move on and get a new backup quarterback to work behind Nix. Doing so would free up a little chunk of change for the Broncos to spend in free agency.

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