Denver Broncos News

Denver Broncos free-agent running back Tyler Badie plans to sign his one-year, $1.075 million tender "soon," according to Chris Tomasson of The Athletic. Badie could sign the tender as soon as Saturday. The Broncos are expected to explore the free-agent RB market, so at best, the 26-year-old could be relegated to RB3 duties again in Denver in 2026. In his third year in the NFL in 2025, the former sixth-rounder of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 out of Missouri had carried the ball only eight times for 23 yards, adding 19 receptions on 31 targets for 141 yards and no touchdowns as a pass-catcher. Badie added 452 return yards on 17 attempts on special teams. There's a good chance both J.K. Dobbins (foot) and Jaleel McLaughlin won't be back in the Broncos' backfield next season. Badie is off the fantasy radar in the majority of leagues this offseason.

The Denver Broncos are not expected to re-sign defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, a source told Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Franklin-Myers is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday. There have not been any contract discussions with the 29-year-old pass-rusher since the end of the 2025 season. The former fourth-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 out of Stephen F. Austin had a productive two years in Denver, totaling 14.5 sacks, 65 tackles (30 solo), 14 tackles for loss, and 33 QB hits in 33 regular-season games (31 starts). Franklin-Myers ranked third on the Broncos in sacks and was a big reason why they led the league in that department in 2025. He should have a healthy market in free agency among NFL teams looking to improve their pass rush in 2026 and beyond.

NFL teams have reached out to the Denver Broncos about backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, whose lone start last year came in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Stidham didn't look bad initially in place of the injured Bo Nix (ankle), giving the Broncos an early lead in the first quarter, but it all fell apart from there. A blizzard in the second half didn't help his cause at all. The 29-year-old finished the game 17-for-31 passing for 133 yards, one touchdown, and an interception, and he also lost a critical fumble. Head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos hold Stidham in high regard as QB insurance behind Nix, so they will most likely ask for a lot in return in any potential trade this offseason. Stidham is one of the better backup QBs in the league.

The Denver Broncos told agent Deryk Gilmore this week that they will place a second-round restricted free-agent tender on nickel cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, which comes with a $5.77 million salary, according to Mike Klis of 9 News. It's a big raise for the ball-hawking defensive back, as he made $1.03 million in 2025 as a third-year player. He led the team with three interceptions (61 return yards) and two forced fumbles while leading all secondary players with four sacks as well. If an interested team wants to try to pry McMillian away from Denver, they'd have to give up a second-round draft pick and also sign him to an extension. The former undrafted free agent out of East Carolina University also had 56 tackles (40 solo) and nine pass breakups last year in his fourth year in the league. McMillian will be a key piece of the Broncos' secondary again in 2026.

The Denver Broncos are not tendering running back Jaleel McLaughlin, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. McLaughlin will hit the open market as a free agent next month, although it's believed that the Broncos would be interested in bringing him back for backfield depth. The 25-year-old former undrafted free agent combined for 189 carries, 906 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in 33 regular-season games over the first two years of his career in Denver, adding 55 catches for 236 yards and four more touchdowns as a receiver. He only played in eight games in 2025, though, and had a career-low 37 rushing attempts for 187 yards and one touchdown, adding four catches for 27 yards. The Broncos will most likely add to their RB room alongside RJ Harvey this offseason, either through the draft or free agency, but McLaughlin won't be a priority.

After topping 570 scrimmage yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin's production took a step back in 2025. Across eight games, the 25-year-old recorded 214 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 41 touches. McLaughlin was a healthy scratch on game day for much of the first half of the season, as he was stuck behind J.K. Dobbins (foot), RJ Harvey, and Tyler Badie on the Broncos' running back depth chart. McLaughlin got more opportunities to play down the stretch after Dobbins went down in Week 11 with a foot injury. Dobbins is now set to hit free agency, which could open up a path to playing time for McLaughlin in Denver. However, Harvey emerged as the team's lead back in 2025 after Dobbins went down and looks like the Broncos' clear RB1 of the future. For his career, McLaughlin is averaging fewer than seven touches per game and looks more like a complementary, change-of-pace back than a fantasy-relevant workhorse.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that offensive coordinator Davis Webb will be the team's offensive play-caller in 2026, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's an interesting and notable move for Denver's offense and for Payton, who has always called the offensive plays as a head coach in the NFL. Webb, 31, is a former backup quarterback in the NFL and was a head-coaching candidate for a few teams this offseason before the Broncos fired former OC Joe Lombardi and promoted Webb, who was formerly the QBs coach. If the Broncos' offense goes backwards under Webb, Payton can always take back over. If Webb has a very tight relationship with QB Bo Nix (ankle), this could ultimately be a good thing for the Broncos' offense moving forward. One of the top priorities for Webb in his first year as the OC will be to fix a running game that has been subpar the last two years.

Denver Broncos impending free-agent running back J.K. Dobbins (foot) made it clear that he'd prefer to re-sign with the team this offseason, but The Athletic's Nick Kosmider expects the team "to explore multiple other options first." Before a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury, Dobbins was in the midst of a career year in 2025, rushing for 772 yards through the first 10 weeks, the fifth-highest output in the NFL. He has averaged 5.2 yards per carry since entering the NFL as a second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, but staying on the field has been an issue. Last year was the fourth time since Dobbins entered the league in which he played in 10 games or fewer due to injury. Dobbins has been productive when healthy, but the Broncos need a "player with some longer-term upside to pair with RJ Harvey." Because of his lengthy injury history, Dobbins will be hard to trust in fantasy, and he's unlikely to find work as a true RB1 workhorse back in free agency.

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram had a frustrating 2025 season, failing to live up to preseason expectations. Engram signed with the Broncos after three years in Jacksonville. He had been a top-five fantasy tight end in two of his three years with the Jaguars, and the one exception was his injury-shortened 2024 campaign. Fantasy managers had high hopes for Engram in Denver, where he could have played the "joker" role in Sean Payton's offense. Instead, he was held to just 4.75 targets per contest, and he finished the year with just one touchdown. These subpar stats resulted in Engram ranking as the overall TE29 in PPR leagues, which was the lowest single-season mark of his career (minimum 10 games played). It doesn't seem like this year was a fluke, either. Engram truly just struggled to get on the field, playing fewer than 50% of the offensive snaps in 13 of his 16 contests. Barring a major scheme change this offseason, we can expect a similar pattern for Engram in 2026. He's a risky redraft option in next summer's drafts. Meanwhile, dynasty managers might want to trade Engram while they still can, capitalizing on any name value he has left.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) put together another strong season in 2025, and he continues to trend upward despite entering the offseason with a broken ankle. In his second pro season, Nix threw for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also added 356 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. As a result, he finished as the overall QB7 for the second year in a row. The former first-round pick's production was a little inconsistent at times, as he certainly had some boom or bust games, but he played well enough to satisfy his fantasy managers and keep them in the hunt for the fantasy playoffs. He also kept his Broncos in the playoff hunt, locking up the No. 1 seed and taking down the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. However, Nix broke his ankle near the end of the Bills game, sidelining him for the Broncos' eventual loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Nix should be fully recovered in time for the 2026 season, and his supporting cast will arguably be stronger than ever with Courtland Sutton returning and Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant both having another year under their belts. Plus, running back RJ Harvey is expected to take a major step forward, further improving the overall state of the offense. All signs point to Nix finishing as QB7 or higher again in 2026.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant finished his rookie campaign with fewer than 400 yards and only one touchdown, but based on glimpses he showed in two abbreviated playoff appearances, he could see a much larger role in 2026. Having the dubious distinction of exiting both games early with injury, it's difficult to project how much of the game plan would continue to revolve around him, but Bryant touched the ball five times on a total of 12 postseason snaps. The Broncos have been tied to the receiver position in what looks to be a strong incoming draft class, but the only pass catcher currently on the roster who clearly projects ahead of Bryant is 30-year-old Courtland Sutton. While Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. have both shown flashes at times in their young careers, Bryant seems the most likely to take the next step in 2026 and could be an important weapon for newly elevated offensive coordinator Davis Webb.

Running back J.K. Dobbins (foot) signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the Denver Broncos late in the 2025 offseason, and through the first 10 weeks of the season, he looked like one of the best values of the year. Dobbins ran for 772 yards and four touchdowns before going down to a Lisfranc injury that ultimately ended his season. Once again set to hit the open market, Dobbins has recently indicated a preference to return to Denver. Should he sign another short-term deal with the Broncos, he would likely be given the inside track to starting duties over second-round pick RJ Harvey. While Harvey showed a knack for finding the end zone as a rookie, he could not come close to matching Dobbins' efficiency behind one of the premier offensive lines in the league, averaging 3.7 yards per carry to Dobbins' 5.0. Where Harvey truly excelled was in the passing game, and if Denver runs back the same pairing in 2026, it's difficult to envision another landing spot for Dobbins with more clearly defined roles or higher upside within what will likely be some form of committee.

Across 17 games as a rookie in 2025, Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey recorded 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on 193 touches. The 25-year-old opened the season in a relatively limited RB2 role behind veteran Broncos back J.K. Dobbins. However, Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 10, opening the door for Harvey to take on more backfield work. From Week 11 onwards, Harvey recorded 507 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns. Heading into 2026, Harvey looks well-positioned to take over as Denver's full-time lead back as Dobbins is set to hit free agency this spring. The Broncos could easily re-sign Dobbins or bring in a different veteran back to ease Harvey's workload. Still, the trajectory of Harvey's rookie season indicates he's a player on the rise, and his fantasy stock in dynasty formats should be trending upward after 2025.

Denver Broncos safety JL Skinner (shoulder) announced on his Instagram account that he underwent surgery to fix his labrum. Skinner played with an entirely torn labrum all season long and fought through the pain to play in all 17 regular-season games in his third year in the league with the Broncos. The 24-year-old defensive back also injured his quadriceps in the playoffs and was unable to play in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. He was mostly a special-teamer for Denver this year and played only 34 defensive snaps over 17 regular-season games. Skinner finished the regular season with just 12 tackles (eight solo) and a fumble recovery.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin took a major step forward during his second season in the NFL. He appeared in all 17 games throughout the 2025 regular season, catching 65 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns. Despite competing for volume with Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., and Evan Engram, Franklin managed to finish the year as the overall WR30 in full-PPR leagues. The Broncos aren't losing any key receivers in free agency, so Franklin won't face any less competition heading into next year. However, having another full season and offseason under his belt should allow him to elevate his game and push for a 1,000-yard season. He'll also benefit from playing another year alongside quarterback Bo Nix (ankle), who should be healthy by Week 1. Franklin is a top-36 receiver heading into 2026 fantasy football drafts.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler spoke to several people in the NFL who believe that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton will eventually relinquish offensive play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Webb, a former backup quarterback with the Buffalo Bills, has been a fast riser in the coaching ranks and had multiple head-coaching interviews this cycle. The decision will be up to Payton, but nothing has been decided for now. Payton has called plays at a high level for decades, but his decisions came under scrutiny in the AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots. Webb took over the OC job in Denver following the firing of Joe Lombardi. Handing over play-calling duties to Webb might be another way for the Broncos to hang onto the coveted coach beyond the 2026 campaign, and they could potentially be grooming him to take over head-coaching duties if Payton decides to retire down the road.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton posted another rock-solid season in 2025, recording 74 receptions for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns on 124 targets across 17 games played. His 2025 line is nearly identical to his 2024 production, when he hauled in 81 grabs for 1,081 yards and eight scores on 135 targets. While Sutton may not carry elite fantasy upside, he's established himself as the number one pass-catcher in an above-average Broncos' offense and has proven he can provide a consistent production floor. However, Sutton's long-term fantasy outlook may be dimming heading into 2026. For one, Sutton will be entering his age-31 season. Additionally, Denver has multiple wide receivers on rookie contracts in Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr., who are all candidates to take a step forward next year. Sutton will likely remain a safe wide receiver option for redraft leagues in 2026, but dynasty managers may be wise to anticipate the start of his decline phase.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto (wrist) had a cleanup surgery on his wrist this week, multiple sources told Luca Evans of The Denver Post. Bonitto injured his wrist in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts after slamming the ground in frustration, and he played the rest of the year with a club on his right hand. The procedure was a simple clean-up and shouldn't affect his preparation for the 2026 campaign. The 26-year-old had surgery to remove a bone spur in his foot in the preseason, and he admittedly was beat up during the 2025 season. Bonitto still managed to play in every game in his fourth year in the league and made the Pro Bowl for the second straight season, recording 46 tackles (31 solo), a career-high 14 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 28 QB hits, and two forced fumbles in 17 regular-season contests. The former second-round pick will enter the 2026 campaign as one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, with 17.5 sacks the last two years.

Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator Davis Webb reached an agreement with the team on Monday to become their offensive coordinator, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Webb interviewed for three head-coaching jobs and also had other offensive-coordinator opportunities this cycle, but he chose to stick around in Denver under head coach Sean Payton. He'll be taking over the OC job from Joe Lombardi, who was fired following the team's AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots. It's a promotion for Webb, a former backup QB in the NFL, although Payton will most likely continue to call plays for the Broncos' offense in 2026. The Broncos retaining Webb is excellent news for the entire offense, particularly quarterback Bo Nix (ankle).

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) said he will be back to training in four to six weeks after a quick surgery on a simple bone break in his right ankle that he suffered in the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. The Broncos really missed Nix in their 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Nix won't end up missing any time in the offseason, though, so he should be fully healed in time for organized team activities this spring. In his second full season in the NFL, the 25-year-old Oregon product completed 63.4% of his pass attempts for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 starts. Nix led the league with 612 pass attempts and also seven game-winning drives. He added 356 rushing yards and five scores on 83 rushing attempts. Nix was the overall QB7 for fantasy managers and will be in play as a midrange QB1 target in 2026 as he heads into his third NFL season.