Coming off their best season in over a decade and falling a few turns short of a Super Bowl berth, the Denver Broncos have a lot to mull over in the 2026 offseason. The Broncos have been active in free agency lately, but will likely take a different approach ahead of Sean Payton's fourth season with the team.
The Broncos made a few massive moves in 2025, including the signings of Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram. Denver also gave Courtland Sutton, Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen lucrative extensions, making them each among the highest-paid players at their positions.
The Broncos' 2026 offseason will not be nearly as eventful, but it could be equally impactful. Their actions in the coming months could be the difference between a Super Bowl LXI appearance and missing the playoffs altogether.
While the active offseason helped turn the Broncos into Super Bowl contenders, it leaves them with minimal options in the 2026 offseason. General manager George Paton is still in play to make a few more moves, but he will first need to let a few veterans walk in free agency.
RB J.K. Dobbins
One year after reviving his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, J.K. Dobbins was sensational for the Broncos early in the 2025 season. The 27-year-old racked up 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns through the first 10 games, playing well enough to hold off rookie RJ Harvey for most of the year.
Unfortunately for Dobbins, the injury bug struck again. He was initially ruled out for a few weeks with a minor foot injury before he was determined to have suffered a Lisfranc fracture, which ended his season.
Dobbins has proven that he is still a serviceable running back capable of leading a championship-winning backfield. Many organizations will value him on team-friendly deals, similar to the one he inked in 2025. He still has a future in the NFL, but it should not be with the Broncos, who have little to no use for him anymore following Harvey's late-year breakout.
While the 5-foot-8 Harvey still struggles in between the tackles, Denver can find another solution to that problem in free agency. It would be best for both sides if Dobbins signed with a new team in March.
LB Justin Strnad
Justin Strnad was a revelation for Sean Payton in 2024, when he transformed from a special teams player to an every-down linebacker seemingly overnight. He has recorded 131 tackles in the last two years, fourth-most on the team during that frame.
Strnad re-upped with the Broncos in 2025, during the same offseason the team gave Dre Greenlaw a three-year, $31.5 million deal. Retaining Strnad made sense at the time, given that Greenlaw missed most of the 2025 season while recovering from numerous injuries. Strnad's numbers decreased with Greenlaw in the mix, but he still recorded 58 tackles and a career-high 4.5 sacks.
Despite his statistical regression in 2025, the Broncos will not be able to give Strnad another one-year, $2 million deal. The 29-year-old reportedly wants to be a full-time starter in 2026, and teams will be willing to pay him accordingly. Denver should not be looking to match the offers he might receive in free agency.
Strnad has been one of the unsung heroes of the Broncos' defense, but he does not fit in with Payton's current plans and should not be back in Denver in the fall.
FB Michael Burton
When Michael Burton signed a one-year extension with the Broncos in 2025, it marked the first time in his career that he stuck with a team for more than two years. It ended up being a mere formality, with the 34-year-old fullback missing the entire campaign due to a preseason hamstring injury.
Burton has twice re-signed with the Broncos in free agency, a trend that should not continue in 2026. While Burton was a key part of Denver's offense during Payton's first two years with the team, the head coach replaced him in 2025 with Adam Prentice, his former New Orleans Saints fullback.
Prentice is not a Pro Bowl fullback, but he is four years younger than Burton and a much more effective runner at this stage of their careers. It would be foolish for the Broncos to choose Burton over Prentice in the 2026 offseason.
Denver does not have to commit to either guy in free agency, but if it is going to retain one of its fullbacks, it should be Prentice.
S P.J. Locke
After two years as the Broncos' starting safety, P.J. Locke took a significant step back in 2025. The former undrafted free agent was forced back to the bench after the team signed All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga in the offseason to pair him with Brandon Jones.
The 29-year-old has displayed his versatility over the years, recording 127 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and one interception from 2023 to 2024. He will likely never make a Pro Bowl roster, but Locke is an experienced safety capable of starting for most teams. Locke was simply stuck behind two of the best safeties in the league in 2025.
By giving Hufanga a three-year, $39 million deal, the Broncos made him and Jones two of the top 25 highest-paid safeties in the league. With each under contract in 2026, Locke has a hard ceiling in Denver.
Denver would love to have Locke back, but several other teams might be willing to give him another shot at starting. The Broncos have to let Locke walk in free agency and refrain from overvaluing him as a high-level backup.
TE Adam Trautman
Adam Trautman has been a Sean Payton guy his entire career. Payton drafted him in the third round in 2020, three years before bringing the tight end on board with the Broncos when he came out of retirement.
Trautman, a blocking tight end, is not a game-changer on the field, but he is a culture guy whose value comes in the locker room. Payton has clearly valued those traits over the years, but it is time to see how much he truly values the 29-year-old during the 2026 offseason, when Trautman hits the open market.
While the Broncos would not have to break open the bank to retain Trautman, they already have other options. Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins both saw their offensive roles increase in 2025, as did fullback Adam Prentice, who lined up at tight end more than he has been used to. Denver even got backup left tackle Frank Crum involved in special packages, using him as an eligible receiver on a trick play touchdown in the playoffs.
Trautman, who received a disappointing 51.0 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, is the most expensive of the group, even if the difference is marginal. The Broncos do not need to retain him for a fourth season and should let him walk in free agency.
