The Denver Broncos want cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian back in 2026.
That looks likely to happen.
On Friday news broke that the Broncos have placed a second-round tender on McMillian, worth almost $6 million. Other teams can still offer him a contract in free agency, but would have to give Denver a valuable Round 2 pick if he left and the Broncos decided not to match the deal.
Broncos are placing the second-round tender ($5.8M) on CB Ja’Quan McMillian, per sources.
One of Denver’s top ball disrupters, McMillian had four sacks, two interceptions and nine pass deflections in ‘25 – including a memorable snatch from Brandin Cooks to seal a playoff win. pic.twitter.com/g0I2z9W3CW
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2026
McMillian had a massive interception of Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Broncos won the game 33-30 in OT after Bo Nix and the offense got kicker Wil Lutz in field-goal range following the pick by McMillian.
The play was somewhat controversial, with Bills fans claiming wide receiver Brandin Cooks actually caught the football. However, multiple angles showed it was never really secured by Cooks and McMillian ripped it away clean.
As an undrafted player, if the the Broncos had tendered McMillian at his original level, Denver would’ve gotten no compensation if he left. So by doing this, GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton cover themselves, but McMillian has a higher cap figure now.
His agent Deryk Gilmore spoke with several media members at the NFL Combine and doesn’t expect another team to put an offer sheet in front of McMillian, where his salary could be around $16 million. This almost assuredly means he’ll be back with the Broncos.
Denver selected cornerback Jahdae Barron in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, but McMillian had a great season and will remain in the fold for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Playing time for Barron might be hard to come by in his sophomore campaign.
The Broncos could also potentially move someone like Riley Moss, clearing the way for Barron to play corner on the outside.
Regardless, this is a move that will make Broncos Country happy. Retaining McMillian on an already elite defense is a great first step of the offseason.