Oct 12, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Helmets at the line of scrimmage as Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (60) snaps the ball against the New York Jets during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Helmets at the line of scrimmage as Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (60) snaps the ball against the New York Jets during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Wattenberg
Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (60) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
The Denver Broncos officially announced the three-year extension they've agreed to with kicker Wil Lutz, confirming Friday's report. Lutz isn't the only key Bronco playing in a contract year.
There are others, including several starters. On Monday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed that he and GM George Paton have begun the process of reaching out to some of these players, though he didn't mention anyone by name, of course.
“George and I, before the break, discussed a number of players that we’re going to visit with. The key is not affecting the mojo or how your team’s doing. I’m always sensitive to that, especially when you’re playing well, because sometimes those can be difficult discussions," Payton said via conference call
. "There are a few other players that we know we’ve reached out to, and I think the key is the communication aspect of it all."
The Broncos are playing well, riding an eight-game winning streak as they emerge from their bye. The last thing Payton wants to do is open up a dialogue on what can be a touchy subject, like lucrative contracts, and distract a player who may be in a groove.
Surely, whichever players the Broncos have touched base with on an extension, Payton felt reasonably confident it wouldn't impact their on-field performance. The question is, which players have the Broncos reached out beyond Lutz?
Here's a short list of key contract-year players who'd likely love to get that call.
John Franklin-Myers | DL
Malcolm Roach | DL
Alex Singleton | LB
Justin Strnad | LB
Luke Wattenberg | C
J.K. Dobbins | RB
P.J. Locke | S
Adam Trautman | TE
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Which Players Take Precedence?
Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) rushes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) rushes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Each one of those players has a key role, either as a starter or as a depth contributor. The one that is unlike the others, in multiple respects, is Dobbins.
The veteran running back was cruising for an extension before he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 10. Entering that game, Dobbins ranked in the top five in rushing and ended his season with 773 yards and four touchdowns, with a 5.0 yards-per-carry average.
Because he's injured, negotiating an extension with Dobbins doesn't make sense right now. When he gets healthy, which won't be until February at soonest, per the most recent reporting, the Broncos may as well wait until March when free agency opens, or close to it.
Dobbins' injury was tragic because he was on pace for a career year and had already dealt with such terrible injury luck. He fit into Payton's offense and the Broncos' culture with ease. For those reasons, I wouldn't be completely shocked if Dobbins was one of those players the Broncos reached out to, but I doubt it very much.
His injury history is the only thing that's prevented him from becoming a household name at running back. Since entering the league in 2020 with the Baltimore Ravens, Dobbins has been one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL, but also one of the most snake-bitten.
As for the topic at hand, I would think that Franklin-Myers and Wattenberg would take precedence in the pecking order of contract-year players. Both are key starters on the defensive and offensive line, and, especially with Franklin-Myers, if the Broncos can negotiate a new deal in-season, it might save them more than a few dollars on the open market next offseason.
Roach may be the next guy. He's been an immense boon to the defense, although he missed a good chunk of the season early on. Since he's been back, the Broncos' rushing defense has stiffened substantially.
The Linebacker Question
The Broncos will soon have to figure out what to do at linebacker. Dre Greenlaw is locked in for two more years, but Singleton and Strnad are playing on expiring contracts.
At 32 years old, Singleton's best days are behind him, but he's still playing at a high level, especially since about Week 7, and he's a team captain. Strnad has been a life-saver for Vance Joseph's defense, both this year and last, and he's much younger than Singleton.
There may be room for only one of these linebackers on the 2026 salary cap. Do the Broncos err on the side of experience and locker-room presence, or relative youth and upside?
Locke is playing on his second contract as a Bronco. Although he's fallen out of the starting lineup, he's great as the No. 3 safety, and he's still an impactful contributor on special teams.
Trautman is a long-time Payton guy. While his blocking leaves much to be desired, Trautman is a good glue guy who knows the scheme, and he now has some history and chemistry with Bo Nix.
Time will tell how it shakes out with these players. Again, we don't know which ones the Broncos have reached out to, aside from Lutz. But there's time yet for two camps to make a deal.
Update
Per9NEWS' Mike Klis, the Broncos opened preliminary discussions with Roach and Wattenberg.
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Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) celebrates his game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High.
Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) celebrates his game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) gets set to kick a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) gets set to kick a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High.
Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High.
Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts after a play during the first half against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High.
Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts after a play during the first half against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts with defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98).
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts with defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images