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DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 19: Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos reacts to a play in the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Giants at Empower Field At Mile High on October 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
For the last year or so — pretty much since the end of the 2024 regular season — Denver Broncos fans have pinned a lot of their hopes for the future on what the franchise might do in the 2026 free agent cycle.
Finally unencumbered by the $85 million dead cap hit spread out over the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to the disastrous Russell Wilson contract and with the richest owners in the NFL ready and waiting with their checkbooks, this was going to be the year the Broncos went out and got the 1-2 players who might make the difference to winning a Super Bowl.
Then, in less than 1 week since the NFL free agency period opened on Monday, all of those hopes and dreams seem to have gone out the window. As of Saturday morning, the Broncos were the only 1 out of the 32 NFL teams yet to sign an outside free agent.
“If the NFL were a party, the Denver Broncos would be the weird team standing alone in the corner, watching but not participating,” 9 News Denver’s Mike Klis wrote on Friday night. “When the Seattle Seahawks reached an agreement Thursday afternoon with Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II, the Broncos were the last of the 32 NFL teams that have not yet participated in signing away a free agent from another team … For those scoring along in Broncos Country, the score is 16-0. The Broncos have brought back 16 of their own free agents — whether exclusive rights, restricted free agents or unrestricted free agents — with zero players coming from other teams.”
On paper, the Broncos seemed primed to add outside skill position players at running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Nothing materialized.
“Broncos not paying a new running back is not surprising,” Denver 92.5-FM’s Nate Kreckman wrote on X. “Broncos staying with the same TEs is bizarre. Hopefully something still to come.”
Broncos Have Focused Entirely on In-House Signings
If the Broncos have a plan for this offseason, it seems entirely focused on giving new contracts to players already on the roster and clearing cap space — for what, we don’t know yet.
“What a bizarre offseason for the Broncos,” Broncos fan Jeff Morton wrote on X. “They keep clearing more cap space for ….. what exactly?”
“Is it just me, or does it feel like the Broncos front office is just messing with us at this point??” Broncos fan BroncoKirk13 wrote on X. “It’s almost comical. Never seen a team bring back every single guy and not even pursue a single external FA. Just bizarre man!”
The Broncos have signed a trio of skill position players and all of whom are going to essentially be role players in 2026 — wide receiver Lil’jordan Humphrey and running backs J.K. Dobbins and Jaleel McLaughlin.
Of those 3, only Dobbins got big money with a 2-year, $16 million contract despite missing 7 games due to injuries in a continued pattern of injuries throughout his career.
Could Broncos Still Have Massive Move in Works?
The only hope remaining for Broncos fans is a massive trade or 2 that could still happen down the road. Maybe for New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara or Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown — maybe for both.
“Yes, Sean Payton and George Paton have earned the benefit of the doubt,” The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote. “But why make it so hard on themselves, especially with the schedule much tougher next season?”