Marvin Mims Jr.
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Denver Broncos wide receiver and return specialist Marvin Mims Jr.
It’s no secret that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has a certain fondness for wide receiver and 2-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowl return specialist Marvin Mims — the 1st player he drafted after becoming Denver’s head coach.
That fondness has led to some pretty great returns for the Broncos over the last 3 seasons, as Mims has been electric in not only the return game but when he’s been given a chance to actually play wide receiver.
All of that taken into account, the Broncos are being urged to not grant Mims a contract extension this offseason — or next season — and let him play out the entirety of his 4-year, $6.06 million rookie contract.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put Mims at the top of his list of contract extensions NFL teams would be “smart to avoid” in 2026.
“The Broncos should be cautious about making a lengthy commitment to Marvin Mims Jr.,” Kay wrote on Thursday. “Although the wideout quickly emerged as an impactful return man — earning his second Pro Bowl nod and making the All-Pro team in 2024 —the 2023 second-rounder has consistently underwhelmed as a receiver. Mims has had ample opportunity to seize a key role in the passing game, but he has yet to reel in more than 40 receptions in a single season. He peaked with 503 receiving yards in 2024 and regressed to tally a career-low 322 receiving yards this past year.”
Pecking Order in Offense Not Good for Marvin Mims
It’s been hard for Mims to get touches in Denver’s offense the last 3 seasons — it won’t get any easier for him in 2026.
The Broncos not only have 2 clear-cut 1A and 1B options at wide receiver now with Courtland Sutton and the recently-acquired Jaylen Waddle, but there’s a ton of talent behind them with up-and-comers like Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant.
Once we figure in the touches for high-usage running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey and — hopefully — tight end Evan Engram getting his fair share of catches, it doesn’t leave much room for Mims other than returning kicks and punts.
Is Marvin Mims More Valuable Than We Realize?
There’s a chance the Broncos — specifically Payton — view Mims as a much more valuable piece than we realize.
Mims, a 2-time NFL All-Pro, is one of a handful of Broncos eligible for their 1st contract extensions this offseason, and has a projected value of a 3-year, $19.4 million contract. Which might be doable.
In no small way, the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Mims has been critical to the success of the Broncos through his first 3 seasons, including consecutive playoff appearances the last 2 years and the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs in 2025.
“The Broncos’ 2023 draft class will be able to get contract extensions this year,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account. “That class was: Marvin Mims, Drew Sanders, Riley Moss, JL Skinner, Alex Forsyth.”
Of that class, Mims and Moss have developed beyond full-time starters into high-impact players over the last 3 seasons, while Forsyth has been arguably the Broncos’ top option off the bench on the offensive line.