It’s decision day for the Denver Broncos.
They’re likely keeping cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, placing a second-round tender on the cornerback.
However, running back Jaleel McLaughlin was not offered the same luxury. A report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Broncos are declining to tender him and McLaughlin will hit the open market next month.
The Broncos are not tendering running back Jaleel McLaughlin, per source. He will be a free agent.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2026
McLaughlin appeared in only eight games for Denver in 2025 with a bunch of game-day inactives on his resume. In those eight games, McLaughlin ran the football 37 times for 187 yards and a touchdown.
After J.K. Dobbins got hurt in November against the Las Vegas Raiders, McLaughlin found a few more opportunities, but head coach Sean Payton still seemed to prefer rookie RJ Harvey and veteran Tyler Badie over him in key third-down situations.
An undrafted free-agent, McLaughlin had his best year with the Broncos in 2024 when he went for nearly 500 rushing yards on 113 carries. In his career, McLaughlin has averaged 4.8 yards per attempt, so there’s still some untapped potential there for the 25-year-old.
Another report from The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel says the Broncos haven’t closed the door on McLaughlin and “have interest in bringing him back.”
We’ll see how it all shakes out next month, but with Dobbins and McLaughlin both free agents, the Denver running back room could look significantly different in 2026.