Jonathon Cooper Arrested; Broncos OLB Facing Four New Charges
10:07pm: The newer arrest warrant reveals Cooper confirming one of his girlfriend’s allegations, indicating (h/t Klis) he “grabbed her neck” while trying to retrieve his phone. In an incident last week that saw both Cooper and his girlfriend receive charges, Cooper said “I really wasn’t squeezing; it was more to keep her at bay while I’m trying to rip (his) cellphone away from her.” He did say he was “aggressive” in the effort to do so.
The judge in this case increased a protective order against Cooper. He and his girlfriend must stay 50 feet away from each other, with the exception of a church both attend, Klis adds. Cooper will be forced to sign a protection order to facilitate his release from jail, according to the Denver Post’s Luca Evans, who adds the judge ordered “no new offenses while on bond.” The sixth-year outside linebacker will need prior court approval to leave Colorado. A motions hearing in this case is set for July 14, Klis adds.
Responding to the new charges, Cooper’s attorney said (via Klis) he was “surprised by the DA’s decision to upcharge Mr. Cooper. The police had a full, thorough and complete investigation and determined there was not probable cause for these new charges. Notwithstanding that fact, without further investigation the DA increased the charges even though the police didn’t find supporting evidence.”
9:01am: Jonathon Cooper has been arrested once more. The Broncos edge rusher is now back in Douglas County jail, as detailed by 9News’ Mike Klis.
Cooper was arrested and then booked at 10:07pm Thursday night. Per an earlier 9News report, court documents showed an additional two charges being laid in this case: second-degree assault by strangulation along with third-degree assault – knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury. As Klis notes, however, Cooper has now also been charged with harassment and with violating a protective order which was issued in the aftermath of his initial arrest. He is due to appear in court today.
“We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Cooper’s arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter,” a statement from the Broncos reads (h/t Klis).
An alleged incident involving Cooper and his girlfriend on June 4 resulted in both parties being arrested and facing misdemeanor domestic violence and criminal mischief charges. The second-degree assault charge Cooper now faces is a felony. According to Klis, the officers who arrived on scene decided “there was no probable cause for assault charges” based on the conflicting statements which were given and a lack of physical evidence.
The new charges come after Cooper’s girlfriend gave an account which recalled the confrontation over Cooper’s phone and subsequent events. She alleges Cooper “grabbed [her] by her neck with one hand and lifted her feet off the ground and up against the wall” and kept her there for approximately one minute. It was at that point, per her statement, that Cooper grabbed his phone back. The girlfriend alleges Cooper then “proceeded to pick her up and throw her back on the ground approximately three times” while also punching a wall next to her face.
Last week’s affidavit did not indicate any Cooper physical assault, but the one released Friday does. An officer suggested the as-of-now-unnamed woman undergo an exam from a forensic nurse, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, and the exam revealed a “serious injury as a result of the strangling, including hypoxia and a traumatic brain injury.”
These ugly details, at the very least, point to a six-game suspension being likely. That would seemingly the best-case scenario for the starting Denver OLB at this point, with his future in Denver and in the NFL potentially in doubt.
On Monday, Cooper entered a not guilty plea to the three charges he was facing at the time. The 28-year-old also took to Instagram to apologize for his actions. “This situation is not who I am,” the post reads in part. Cooper has been with the Broncos since 2021, and he has served as a full-time starter for the past three seasons. His extension runs through the 2028 campaign and includes $12MM in scheduled compensation for the coming year.
A trial is set to begin on July 22. As is standard practice with domestic violence cases, an investigation by the NFL in advance of any potential supplemental discipline under the personal conduct policy will wait until the legal proceedings have run their course.
Broncos Give Patrick Surtain $5MM Raise
JUNE 12: Surtain’s raise will come with a restructure. The Broncos will create cap space in the short term by converting all of Surtain’s remaining base salaries to option bonuses, according to OverTheCap. Denver created $4.1MM in cap space in 2026, $9.3MM in 2027, $8MM in 2028 and $9.59MM in 2029 via this restructure. As a result of the 2026 adjustment, OverTheCap lists the Broncos as having $29.79MM in cap space.
Of course, this will mean issues down the road. A $41.1MM void years bill now sits on the contract in 2031. The Broncos, however, can move to delay that with another extension. Should Surtain stay on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and see more corners surpass him on the market, it is not hard to see the Broncos coming in with a true extension. This pay raise would seemingly be a prelude to that.
JUNE 2: In September 2024, Broncos superstar Patrick Surtain inked a four-year, $96MM extension and became the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback by average annual value. That deal will not kick in until this year, but the Broncos are already giving Surtain a pay bump.
Denver will hand Surtain a $5MM raise for 2026, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. He will have a chance to earn another $5MM with a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection. Surtain will have to make the Pro Bowl on the original ballot, not as an alternate, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Surtain entered the day fourth at his position in guarantees, fifth in average annual value and sixth in total money. Fellow cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner,Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley Jr. have all signed massive extensions over the past year-plus, leading to Surtain’s drop in the financial pecking order. Recognizing his importance to their team, the Broncos are upping Surtain’s pay in an act of good faith. His base salary will climb from $7.632MM to $12.632, per Tomasson.
Surtain entered the NFL in 2021 as the ninth overall pick, one selection after the Panthers made Horn the highest-drafted corner in the class. While Horn has enjoyed a successful career, Surtain has turned into one of the game’s elite players. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder has made the Pro Bowl four times and earned three All-Pro selections (two first-team nods and a second-teamer). In his most impressive accomplishment, Surtain took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024, during which he tied a career high with four interceptions and allowed a measly 58.9 passer rating on 62 targets.
Surtain missed three games with a pectoral tear and saw his INT total drop to one last year, but he held passers to an awful 54.1 completion percentage and 66.6 rating on 61 targets. It went down as yet another Pro Bowl/All-Pro season for Surtain, whose history suggests he will earn the extra $5MM in incentives that are now available to him in 2026.
Broncos See G Alex Palczewski As Future Starter; Vance Joseph Addresses Team’s LB Plan
Barring an unexpected trade, this year’s Broncos are on track for an unusual setup in which all five starting offensive linemen are tied to eight-figure-per-year contracts. The team ensured this by retaining contract-year left guard Ben Powers after extending center Luke Wattenberg.
The Russell Wilson contract is off the Broncos’ payroll (after topping the past two Denver cap sheets), and Bo Nix cannot be extended until 2027. This sweet spot of sorts will help the team go with five O-linemen on contracts worth at least $12MM per year. That setup is likely to be a one-off, however, and another offseason move looks to have telegraphed the franchise’s 2027 plans.
[RELATED: Broncos Extend HC Sean Payton]
Denver re-signed Alex Palczewski to a two-year, $9.5MM contract before free agency. The team engaged in talks with the RFA-to-be for around a week before that deal was finalized in early March, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel notes. The Broncos proceeded to re-sign a number of free agents in their retention-heavy (feat. Jaylen Waddle) offseason, but Palczewski’s deal being finalized before free agency was notable regarding future plans.
Essentially, the former UDFA looks like a starter-in-waiting. Three of the Broncos’ five O-line starters — Powers, Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey — will be 30 or older by season’s end (Bolles is 35, McGlinchey turns 32 in August, Powers turns 30 in October). The team is understandably wary of seeing the group’s age become a concern, Gabriel adds, pointing to Palczewski (27 in August) having a shot to start next year.
The most logical Palczewski lineup path would come via a Powers free agency exit and Palczewski — who started 10 games at LG during the starter’s IR stay last season — taking over. The team guaranteed $1.5MM of his $4.49MM 2027 base salary. Palczewski also subbed in for McGlinchey at right tackle during the starter’s IR stint in 2024. McGlinchey is owed a nonguaranteed $16.99MM in 2027, the final year of his contract.
Pro Football Focus ranked Palczewski, who spent his 2023 rookie year on IR, outside the top 60 among guard regulars last year. But ESPN’s run block win rate metric slotted him ninth among all interior O-linemen, representing a notable evaluation chasm. The Broncos figure to have him slotted as the first option off the bench in the event of an injury, and the team’s two-year deal allows for more developmental time ahead of a future in which either Powers or McGlinchey is off the 2027 roster (as Nix moves toward an extension).
Similar succession plans have formed on Denver’s defense. Jahdae Barron, a 2025 first-round pick, is set to play more outside cornerback in the leadup to his second season. That could be aimed at giving him a runway to replace Riley Moss in the event the latter leaves as a 2027 UFA. With the team negotiating an extension with slot CB Ja’Quan McMillian, it would surprise if Moss was re-signed by a team rostering a pricey Patrick Surtain deal. The team also executed a starter-in-waiting strategy at linebacker, though the situation differs a bit.
Denver added Dre Greenlaw to start alongside Alex Singleton last year but saw the former Super Bowl starter’s injury trouble persist, leading to a release. The Broncos cut Greenlaw (via a post-June 1 designation) before a $2MM guarantee vested in March.
Greenlaw already saw Justin Strnad‘s emergence keep him from full-time status, and the Broncos gave the latter a substantial raise on a three-year, $18MM pact. Strnad played for less than $3MM in 2025 but fared well by registering 4.5 sacks as an off-ball ‘backer while adding an interception and five tackles for loss.
Fourth-year DC Vance Joseph said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) Strnad’s improved play led the Broncos to cut ties with Greenlaw, who was on a three-year, $31MM deal that was essentially a pay-as-you-go pact. Greenlaw has since rejoined the 49ers — on a one-year, $6MM accord — and Strnad is on track to team with Singleton as Denver’s ILB starters this season. The Broncos did not draft a linebacker until Round 7, and Jonah Elliss — rumored to be set for an extended ILB look — is staying on the edge. Strnad will have a clear route to a full-time role in his age-30 season.
Broncos Extend HC Sean Payton
The Broncos have locked up their brain trust for the long haul. After signing general manager George Paton to a five-year extension last month, the team has agreed to a new contract with head coach Sean Payton. He will join Paton in landing a five-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Paton and Payton are under wraps through 2030.
“Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations,” Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said in a statement announcing the agreement. “I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.”
The offensive-minded Payton has been one of the NFL’s most successful head coaches since he got his first opportunity with the Saints in 2006. Payton held the post in New Orleans for 15 years, during which the Saints went 152-89 in the regular season and earned nine playoff berths. In the greatest achievement of his career, Payton led the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Colts to cap off the 2009 season.
Three years after he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, Payton served a season-long suspension in 2012 for the Saints’ Bounty scandal. That marred his tenure in New Orleans, but he stuck around for nine more years and guided the team to four seasons of double-digit wins along the way.
Payton stepped away after the Saints went 9-8 and missed the playoffs in 2021, though it was a short-lived exit from the sidelines. The Dolphins pursued a Payton-quarterback Tom Brady package in the subsequent offseason, but Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit (which is still ongoing) foiled their plans. A year later, Payton interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers and Texans. With the Saints still holding his rights, hiring Payton would have meant giving up compensation for his services. Denver ultimately ponied up for Payton, whom it acquired from New Orleans for a first- and second-round pick.
The Broncos were stuck in a seven-year playoff drought when they brought in Payton, who was unable to lead them to an immediate turnaround. Payton did not form a connection with former star quarterback Russell Wilson during an 8-9 showing in 2023. The Broncos were so down on Wilson that they released him in March 2024 at the cost of a whopping $85MM in dead money, which they spread over two seasons.
With Wilson out of the picture, the Broncos experienced a revival under rookie quarterback Bo Nix in 2024. Taken 12th overall in the draft, Nix teamed with a ferocious defense to help the Broncos go 10-7 and reach the playoffs for the first time 2015. The Bills knocked the Broncos out of the wild-card round, but Payton, Nix and the defense went on to make even more progress last season.
Not only did the Broncos end the Chiefs’ nine-year run atop the AFC West in 2025, but they earned the top seed in the conference on the strength of a 14-3 record. After a first-round bye, the Broncos got revenge on the Bills in a 33-30 overtime win in the divisional round. However, it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Broncos, who lost Nix to a season-ending ankle injury on the second-last play of the game. They hosted the AFC championship game a week later, but with backup QB Jarrett Stidham at the helm, their offense struggled on a snowy afternoon in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots.
Although last season did not end on a high note, the Broncos will enter 2026 on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders. For the first time, though, Payton will not serve as his team’s primary offensive play caller. The 62-year-old handed off those duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who is considered one of the league’s top up-and-coming assistants. With Webb’s help, Payton will continue to climb the all-time wins list this season. He will head into 2026 with 184, which ranks 13th. Payton will eventually become the ninth head coach to reach 200.
Broncos Begin Extension Talks With CB Ja’Quan McMillian
The Broncos have fielded one of the NFL’s best defenses in the last two years, especially against the pass. Denver allowed just 5.6 yards per attempt in 2024, the second-lowest mark in the league, which dropped to a league-best 4.8 in 2025.
Starting slot cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian has been a key cog of the Broncos’ secondary since he took over the job midway through the 2023 season. Originally a 2022 UDFA out of East Carolina, he spent his rookie year on the practice squad but was elevated to start and play every snap in Week 18. After a rough start from Essang Bassey in 2023, McMillian stepped in as the team’s nickel for the rest of the season and allowed 6.1 yards per target, the 18th-fewest among qualified cornerbacks.
McMillian saw a substantial jump in targets in 2024, but still allowed just 6.8 yards per target with fewer touchdowns than the year before. Last season, he staved off first-round pick Jahdae Barron to keep his job and allowed career-lows of 5.9 yards per target and a 74.3 passer rating when targeted. He finished the season with the fourth-highest overall and seventh-highest coverage grade of any cornerback (min. 100 snaps), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
That performance would seem to position McMillian as one of the league’s top nickels, a market that is currently topped by Kyler Gordon at $13.3MM per year. He should be able to eclipse the $12MM AAV currently held by Marcus Jones, but he is unlikely to break into starting outside cornerback money at $15MM per year or more.
The Broncos have Patrick Surtain locked in as their long-term CB1. Riley Moss has been the starter on the opposite boundary for the last two seasons and allowed a roughly league-average 7.4 yards per target both times. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and could earn more on his next deal than McMillian since he lines up on the outside.
McMillian’s contract situation then becomes somewhat of a question about how Denver sees Barron. He played nickel for his first two years as a starter at Texas before putting up an elite performance as a full-time boundary corner in 2024. He filled a hybrid role as a rookie with 153 snaps in the slot, 93 outside, 99 in the box. If the Broncos see him as a long-term replacement for Moss, they will be more inclined to pay McMillian. But if defensive coordinator Vance Joseph wants to use Barron’s skillset in the slot, McMillian will likely be playing for a new team next year.
The Broncos are not expected to hand out any extensions until much closer to the season, Tomasson notes, giving them time to evaluate their cornerback room. They used the No. 20 pick on Barron last year and are unlikely to keep such a highly-drafted player on the sidelines for a second year in a row. The team may want to see how Barron fits into their secondary moving forward before making a decision on their veteran cornerbacks who are entering contract years.
Broncos’ Jonathon Cooper Pleads Not Guilty To Domestic Violence Charges
Last week, Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper was arrested on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief. His first court appearance took place today.
Copper has entered a not guilty plea on all charges, as noted by 9News’ Mike Klis. A motion hearing in this case has now been scheduled for July 6. Cooper’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, requested a trial date as soon as possible, Klis adds. A trial hearing is set to take place on July 22 in Douglas County Court. Steinberg said (via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post) no motion to dismiss the case is being planned.
The scheduled trial date falls just before the start of the Broncos’ training camp. By the time padded practices begin, the team will hope to have further clarity on Cooper’s situation (although any potential league discipline will not be issued until an NFL investigation takes place; that process will not begin before the legal proceedings conclude). The 28-year-old was arrested following an alleged incident involving his girlfriend, who was also taken into custody. Cooper was released on a personal recognizance bond Friday.
Since being drafted by the Broncos in 2021, Cooper has established himself as an effective contributor off the edge. The former seventh-rounder played on a rotational basis during his first two years in Denver but has served as a full-time starter ever since. Cooper has amassed 27 sacks since 2023, something which helped him secure a $60MM extension the following season.
As a result of that deal, Cooper is under contract through 2028. He declined comment upon leaving the courthouse on Monday. The Broncos issued a statement indicating they were “gathering more information” on the matter shortly after Cooper’s arrest.
Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper Arrested
Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was arrested on Thursday night, according to TMZ. He is being held in a Colorado jail on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief.
Cooper’s girlfriend was also arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence and criminal mischief charges, Mike Klis of 9News reports. While arguing over cheating allegations, she admitted to taking Cooper’s phone and throwing it across the room. Cooper then grabbed her arm and took his phone back, according to the affidavit.
Cooper faces a misdemeanor charge “of criminal mischief from $300 to $999,” per the Denver Post’s Luca Evans and Parker Gabriel, who add his girlfriend is facing an additional charge of “petty criminal mischief less than $300.” After retrieving his phone, the 28-year-old defender told the woman he would break her phone if she did not leave his apartment. When she refused, the player allegedly bit her phone and caused “disabling damage.”
“We are aware of the matter and gathering more information,” the Broncos stated (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).
Obtaining a personal recognizance bond, Cooper was released from custody, according to the Post. His girlfriend remained in custody at the Douglas County Jail as of Friday afternoon.
Cooper has developed into a key defender for the Broncos since they drafted him in the seventh round in 2021. The former Ohio State Buckeye worked as a reserve in his first two seasons, during which he combined for 86 tackles and 4.5 sacks over 30 games (14 starts). Since 2023, though, Cooper has put together three consecutive 17-start seasons and combined for 27 sacks. He recorded a career-high 10.5 in 2024, and the Broncos awarded him a four-year, $60MM extension during the season. There are still three years left on the deal.
Thanks in large part to an elite defense, the Broncos went 14-3 last year, earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC and made it to the conference title game. Their defense easily led the league in sacks (68) and ranked second in yards and third in scoring. Cooper played the unit’s ninth-most snaps (682, good for a 60.68% share) and posted 50 tackles, 16 QB hits and eight sacks. The 28-year-old also chipped in a sack in the AFC championship, but the Broncos were unable to overcome the absence of injured quarterback Bo Nix in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots.
As Denver tries to get over the hump this year, it will again count on Cooper to join two-time Pro Bowler Nik Bonitto as its top edge rushers. However, the Broncos may go some portion of the season without Cooper if his arrest leads to a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Bo Nix To Ramp Up Activity By Minicamp; Broncos To Keep Jonah Elliss At OLB
Bo Nix is not participating in Broncos OTAs, but his return timetable may be accelerated based on the last update. Sean Payton said at OTAs a Nix ramp-up in time for minicamp is likely to commence.
The third-year quarterback, who is recovering from a cleanup surgery that followed a January procedure on his ankle fracture, will have “more of a role” during the Broncos’ three-day minicamp. Denver’s mandatory minicamp will run from June 16-18.
[RELATED: Von Miller Has Lobbied For Broncos Return]
Some moderate concerns about Nix’s status emerged earlier this offseason, when it was revealed he needed a cleanup procedure following a medical evaluation. Initially, Nix was slated to return by OTAs; as it turned out, the QB needed more time.
A training camp return, at the very latest, is expected. But Payton’s update on his starter represents a good sign for the Broncos, who are set to return 10 offensive starters while adding Jaylen Waddle via trade. Nix and Waddle may be able to begin developing on-field chemistry this month.
Elsewhere at Broncos voluntary workouts, Payton may be ready for an about-face on Jonah Elliss‘ role. Operating as the Broncos’ third edge rusher during his first two seasons, Elliss was believed to be set for an extended look as an inside linebacker — where brothers Kaden (Saints) and Christian (Patriots) play. But Payton said (via the Denver Post’s Luca Evans) Elliss is “doing too well outside” for the team to move him. While the third-year linebacker may see time in an off-ball role at points, the EDGE position will remain his primary post.
The Broncos drafted Elliss in the 2024 third round, tabbing the Utah product — whose father (Luther) made a late-career Denver cameo in the 2000s — after a 12-sack 2023 season. Elliss, 23, registered five sacks as a rookie but just 2.5 in 13 games during an injury-shortened 2025. The Broncos had eyed an Elliss move to ILB to give more time to 2025 fourth-round pick Que Robinson, but it appears the second-year player will need to vie with the more experienced cog to play behind starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.
The latter’s arrest Friday clouds Denver’s OLB outlook, as a suspension under the personal conduct policy could loom. Though, it is not certain Cooper will be suspended or that a league ruling would come down by season’s end.
Denver also returns its starting secondary, which looks to mean another backup role for 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron. The Texas product played just 30% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps as a rookie, working behind Patrick Surtain, Riley Moss and slot Ja’Quan McMillian. Barron battled McMillian for the slot job last summer, but Payton added (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) he would see more time on the outside ahead of his second season.
Both Moss and McMillian are in contract years, and although the Broncos have completed a host of extensions since 2024, they probably will not pay both players. Barron taking over for one in 2027 is logical.
The team placed a second-round RFA tender on McMillian and has used Moss as Surtain’s primary sidekick for the past two seasons. Barron may have a chance to unseat Moss, who has enjoyed quality stretches while being regularly targeted (and penalized) as teams avoid Surtain, or at least begin developing on the perimeter in the event the starter leaves as a 2027 free agent.
Russell Wilson Announces Retirement
On Monday, it was reported Russell Wilson would spend the 2026 season as an analyst for CBS. That news obviously suggested his playing days were over, and that has now been confirmed.
On Wednesday, Wilson posted a video to social media announcing his retirement. The 37-year-old initially expressed a desire to play in 2026, and he received an offer from the Jets. Instead of serving as a backup for another campaign, though, Wilson will turn his attention to broadcasting.
Today’s announcement marks the expected end to a playing career which began with tempered expectations. As a third-round pick, Wilson was far from certain to serve as a capable long-term replacement for Matt Hasselbeck, whose Seattle tenure ended in 2010. As things turned out, though, the franchise enjoyed a sustained run of success under head coach Pete Carroll. His work and that of the ‘Legion of Boom’ on defense was of course critical to the Seahawks’ strong play, but Wilson was a foundational player as well.
Taking on QB1 duties as a rookie and never losing them over the course of his time in the Emerald City, Wilson helped lead Seattle to eight playoff appearances. That stretch included back-to-back trips to the Super Bowl; the Seahawks comfortably won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos and nearly came out on top the following year against the Patriots. Replicating those deep postseason runs proved to be a challenge Carroll’s Seahawks were unable to meet, but Wilson continued to provide the team with strong play over a decade in Seattle.
From the start of his career, Wilson was recognized as a perennial Pro Bowler, earning invitations to the event in nine of 10 seasons with the Seahawks. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019 after finishing the year with 31 touchdowns to just five interceptions despite getting sacked a league-leading 48 times that season. He departed Seattle as the franchise-leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and several other statistical categories.
Wilson’s time with the Seahawks came to an end after the 2021 NFL season, when he was packaged with a fourth-round pick and shipped off to Denver in exchange for two first- and second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant. Over two years with the Broncos, Westbrook struggled to produce as he followed up his only losing season as a starter in Seattle with two more in Denver.
After getting released, Wilson signed with the Steelers, going 6-5 as a starter after missing the first six games of the season and earning Pro Bowl honors one last time. He began the following year as a starter for the Giants, before ultimately ceding his job to Jaxson Dart. He failed to go out on top, but for a third-round quarterback, winning a Super Bowl, making 10 Pro Bowls, winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and cementing himself as a top player in Seahawks history is a pretty good résumé. He’ll look now to expand his accomplishments on air.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Alvin Kamara Plans To Play For Saints In 2026, Broncos Could Be Suitor
JUNE 3: Kamara was at the Saints’ facility today, as noted by Matthew Paras of NOLA.com. That marked his first appearance for voluntary offseason work, something Kamara usually declines to take part in. As the wait for clarity in this case continues, team and player are at least managing to avoid a public rift.
JUNE 1: With A.J. Brown and (perhaps unexpectedly) Myles Garrett having been traded, focus will now shift to Saints RB Alvin Kamara. We heard yesterday that while other teams have expressed interest in the veteran, the Saints have yet to determine whether they’ll move on from the franchise icon.
For what it’s worth, Kamara is currently planning to spend next season in New Orleans. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo spoke to the player’s agent, Brad Cicala, who said the RB “plan[s] on playing for the Saints in 2026.”
When Kamara was believed to be on the trade block last season, the player made it clear that he wanted to stick in New Orleans no matter what, with the running back going as far as to threaten retirement if he was dealt to a new team. It’s uncertain if the addition of Travis Etienne has changed the 30-year-old’s stance, but at the very least, the Saints’ offseason acquisition has led to renewed trade interest in Kamara.
Throughout the saga, there haven’t been any teams definitively connected to the running back, although Albert Breer of SI.com hints that the Broncos could be a suitor. The reporter says Denver “would be interested” in Kamara if the player says he’d be willing to play elsewhere in 2026.
Despite Denver’s rushing attack finishing middle-of-the-road in 2025, the team is set to return similar depth in 2026. J.K. Dobbins led the team in rushing last year despite missing half the season, and the team is hoping 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey can take another step forward after finishing his rookie campaign with 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. The team did make one notable addition in fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman, but considering their current depth, the Broncos would be a logical landing spot for a player of Kamara’s caliber.
We heard yesterday that a post-June 1 move would be more beneficial for the Saints’ cap sheet, although that was positioned in the context of Kamara being cut. Either way, if the running back does hope to stick in New Orleans for at least the 2026 season, he may have to rework his contract to make it a reality.