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Broncos Sign Second-Round RB R.J. Harvey, Complete Draft Class Deals

July 17th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday continues to see second-round rookies agree to deals around the league. Running back R.J. Harvey is among them.

Harvey and the Broncos have agreed to terms, Mike Klis of 9News reports. As the No. 60 pick in April’s draft, his four-year pact is worth a total of $7.36MM and includes a $1.99MM signing bonus. After missing the first day of training camp (for rookies), Harvey is now in the fold in time for the start of padded practices.

Guarantees were, like in all other cases in 2025, the sticking point between team and player. That draft slot saw a 53% guarantee in the past two years, as noted by Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. In addition to the signing bonus and salary in the first two years of the pact being guaranteed, per standard practice, Klis reports Denver locked in 47.7% of Harvey’s Year 3 earnings to finalize the agreement.

Now that Harvey is in the fold, he can turn his attention to training camp. Denver’s backfield will be a unit to watch closely as the pecking order gets determined. The UCF product topped 1,600 scrimmage yards in each of his final two college campaigns. Harvey totaled 42 touchdowns over that span, production which helped make him one of many high-profile RB prospects in this year’s class.

The Broncos were clear about their intent to draft a running back fairly early, and doing so puts Harvey in place to handle a notable role as a rookie. Free agent addition J.K. Dobbins is also in the mix after a long-running communication period with the team. Those two, along with returnees Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime, will spend training camp carving out their respective roles as the Broncos aim to improve their ground game.

With Harvey on the books, the Broncos’ entire 2025 draft class is now signed. Here is how that group looks:

Broncos Sign First-Round CB Jahdae Barron

July 15th, 2025 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

While a long list of second-round picks remain unsigned, there were only two first-round selections who had yet to sign their rookie pacts. One of those unsigned first rounders is Shemar Stewart, whose standoff with the Bengals has been extensively covered. The other was Broncos defensive back Jahdae Barron, but the Texas product has reportedly put pen to paper.

Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports that the Broncos and Barron have agreed to terms on the player’s four-year rookie contract. The cornerback will earn more than $18MM on his rookie deal, and he’ll also get a $9.8MM signing bonus. The Broncos are set to open their rookie minicamp tomorrow.

Barron had a standout career with the Longhorns, but he took his performance to another level in 2024. He finished the season with 67 tackles and a conference-leading five interceptions, leading to him earning a number of accolades. This included a consensus All-American nod and the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. That performance vaulted him up draft boards, and he was ultimately selected by the Broncos with the 20th-overall pick.

Following his selection, head coach Sean Payton said the rookie was “too unique to pass up,” and the Broncos fully intend to capitalize on the player’s versatility. Barron served in a variety of roles during his time at Texas. He primarily played nickel during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but he played more on the outside in 2024. He even garnered at least 140 snaps in the box in each of his final three seasons at the school.

With Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss slotted in on the outside in Denver, the rookie is expected to mostly play in the slot as a rookie. The Broncos are still rostering their 2024 slot CB in Ja’Quan McMillian, so the team could also use Barron as a Swiss Army Knife-type player in their secondary.

As mentioned, Stewart now has the distinction of being the only unsigned first-round pick from this year’s draft. Also as mentioned, there are still a number of second-round picks who haven’t signed their rookie contracts, including Broncos second-round running back RJ Harvey.

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement 

2016

2017

2018

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

Extension Candidate: Courtland Sutton

July 13th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Broncos have rebounded from their disastrous 2022 situation, some of the key players to help them climb out of that hole are entering contract years. Nik Bonitto is a traditional extension candidate, coming off a breakout season ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, while Zach Allen jumped a level ahead of his age-28 season. A significant raise will be necessary for the Broncos to keep the ascending interior D-lineman on a third contract.

Denver, however, has a homegrown player residing as a more interesting extension candidate. Courtland Sutton carries a few unusual markers along his journey to another extension case. Even though Bonitto and Allen qualify as higher-value players due to their ages, Sutton stands as a pivotal piece considering the Broncos’ plan on offense. The former John Elway draftee has waited patiently for a deal, reporting to both OTAs and minicamp after skipping some offseason work while pursuing a raise last year. But he looks to have seen the younger defenders leapfrog him in Denver’s extension queue.

Sutton is going into his age-30 season, and he carries an atypical resume for a No. 1 receiver. The 2018 second-round pick’s two 1,000-yard seasons are spaced five years apart. He helped build an initial extension candidacy by eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2019. That 1,112-yard season still stands as Sutton’s career high; it came with Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen and a rookie-year Drew Lock making starts. A 2020 ACL tear paused Sutton’s ascent, and Denver’s QB quagmire lowered the receiver’s ceiling for an extended stretch.

As the Broncos assembled a low-octane Teddy Bridgewater offense, Sutton and Jerry Jeudy became info-graphic fodder due to Aaron Rodgers‘ interest in being traded to Denver in 2021. The Packers held onto the reigning MVP that year and in 2022, leading the Broncos to their blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. That move brought a spectacular failure, as an overmatched Nathaniel Hackett grounded Denver’s offense to 32nd in 2022. Sean Payton elevated Wilson back to respectability in 2023, however, and that season effectively launched Sutton’s second extension campaign.

Wilson’s 26-touchdown pass, eight-interception season ended ugly, with a contract-based benching taking place. But Wilson-to-Sutton became the team’s most notable connection since the Peyton Manning days; the 6-foot-4 WR totaled 10 TD receptions, displaying a penchant for acrobatic grabs. Sutton then submitted a second 1,000-yard season, being a linchpin on a 2024 offense bereft of other reliable pass catchers. This helped Sutton post a 1,081-yard 2024 season, boosting Bo Nix to 29 TD passes — the second-most by a rookie QB in NFL history.

So much happened between the Rodgers rumors and Nix’s rookie season, though. Sutton signed a four-year, $60MM extension days after Tim Patrick‘s three-year, $30MM deal. While injuries dogged Patrick in the years that followed, Sutton remained a productive starter. Being an Elway-era draftee extended under George Paton, Sutton became a trade-rumor mainstay during Payton’s initial months on the job. The Broncos listened closely on Sutton and Jeudy during the 2023 offseason, aiming for a second-round pick for Sutton and a first for Jeudy. Nothing on that level emerged, but the Ravens came close to acquiring Sutton — before pivoting to Odell Beckham Jr.‘s $15MM guarantee.

Denver declined a Jeudy offer that included third- and fifth-round picks before the 2023 deadline, holding onto Sutton as well. That Jeudy decision became a mistake, as the team both sold low in March 2024 (fifth- and sixth-round picks) before seeing him post a Pro Bowl season in Cleveland. Jeudy’s departure solidified Sutton’s WR1 standing, to the point the Broncos declined a third-round pick from the 49ers during the summer 2024 Brandon Aiyuk saga. Sutton more than doubling any other Broncos pass catcher in yardage last season strengthened his extension case.

Missing out on Emeka Egbuka in the draft, the Broncos did not address the receiver position until Round 3 (Pat Bryant). The Illinois prospect’s 4.61-second 40-yard dash time docked his value, and while Marvin Mims has flashed, the Broncos have mostly deployed him as a gadget cog on offense. The team’s 2024 rookies (Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin) also appear role players, even if Vele’s skillset resembles Sutton’s (Vele is also set to turn 28 before year’s end, complicating the second-year player’s long-term NFL future).

Everything since the 2023 season has boosted Sutton’s stock, but finding a price may be proving tricky. The Broncos agreed to only an incentive package with Sutton last year, telling his camp 2025 would be the window for true extension talks. We are here now, and nothing has transpired since Sutton labeled the 2025 talks positive in April. Denver completed summer extensions with Patrick Surtain and Quinn Meinerz last year; Sutton drama could resurface if no deal emerges this summer.

It would surprise if the Broncos revisited trade talks in the event they could not come to terms with Sutton before Week 1. The SMU product remains valuable due to the dearth of proven WR help ahead of Nix’s second season.

Finding contractual comps does prove difficult. Mike Evans and Davante Adams signed similar deals — two years, $41MM (Evans) and 2/44 (Adams) — while Calvin Ridley‘s resume did not match Sutton’s ahead of a four-year, $92MM Titans deal. Ridley signed that contract months before his 30th birthday, though his standing as last year’s top WR free agent — after the Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. tags — boosted his value. Evans and Adams are much more accomplished players, both of whom also being more than two years older.

Jeudy signed a Browns-friendly extension (three years, $52.5MM), but it came after the Broncos’ QB struggles suppressed his stats. Sutton is in a similar boat, but after being tied to an AAV ($15MM) that sits 25th at the position — following market booms in 2022 and ’24 — it would surprise if the eighth-year vet settled for anything south of $20MM per year.

Pittman’s three-year, $70MM accord could be a comp for Sutton, as the Colts’ No. 1 target is just two years younger and agreed to that deal before another salary cap spike commenced. Jeudy fetched $41MM guaranteed at signing, Pittman $46MM. That is probably beyond where the Broncos will go regarding locked-in compensation, though Sutton residing in a gray area due to age, production and importance makes that number harder to peg as well.

A short-term extension seems the most likely outcome here. The sides’ price points will be interesting to learn. Sutton would command reasonable value as a 2026 free agent, but will he want to chance negotiating ahead of an age-31 season? Many variables have led to this point, as the next several weeks figure to determine where this years-long saga ends.

Garett Bolles Intends To Play Rest Of Career With Broncos

July 10th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Ben Levine

The ink is barely dry on Garett Bolles‘ new contract with the Broncos, but the offensive tackle is already anticipating his next deal. While speaking with reporters recently, Bolles said he hopes to sign one last contract with Denver before calling it a career.

“Well hopefully I can do one more. That’s my goal,” Bolles said (h/t Zack Kelberman of SI.com). “We can talk about that later. I’m just grateful to be here. This organization has given me everything. This state has given me everything. The fanbase, the love I have for all my teammates. … I have an amazing coaching staff that believe in me. That’s all it takes. Once you believe in me, I’ll run through a wall for you. I’m glad to be here. I don’t think too much about the future or anything like that. I just focus on the now and what that’s going to bring to me, and just get ready to protect [QB] Bo [Nix] as much as I can.”

While the lineman’s sentiment is nice, it may be a bit premature to be thinking about his fourth NFL contract. The former first-round pick just inked a four-year, $82MM deal back in December that should keep him in Denver through the 2028 season, although there’s an out in 2026 that could lead to that desired fourth contract. Bolles signed a four-year, $68MM extension following the conclusion of his rookie pact.

Bolles is currently placed seventh among left tackles in average annual value, a ranking that is well deserved. The Utah product has started all 116 of his regular-season appearances since entering the league. After being limited to five games in 2022 thanks to a broken leg, the veteran didn’t miss a single contest between 2023 and 2024. After Pro Football Focus graded him as the 19th-best tackle in 2023, Bolles improved to the 14th spot (among 81 qualifiers) in 2024.

Bolles is now the longest-tenured member of the Broncos, and he should continue to be a franchise stalwart playing in front of a franchise QB. While the lineman intends to keep climbing the franchise games-played leaderboard (he’s currently ranked 54th), he admitted that he’s not thinking much about his long tenure with the organization.

“I don’t know if it changes much. I just love everyone,” Bolles said. “Everyone asks me a bunch of questions all the time. I’m just there for everybody. I don’t want to call myself old. I still have more years to go, but I guess I’m old in age but not in football years. I have a young body that I can just continue to go.”

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Broncos Likely To Use Marvin Mims As WR2

July 8th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Courtland Sutton‘s extension talks certainly can include a point that the former John Elway draftee’s 1,081 receiving yards last season more than doubled the next-closest Broncos weapon. Although Denver was linked to Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka in Round 1, the team did not make a significant investment at the position this offseason.

As Sutton’s negotiations continue, a sizable gap still appears between he and the rest of the Broncos’ wideouts. One of the team’s holdovers, though, did make noticeable progress during last season’s second half. The stretch run Marvin Mims put together last season looks to have him positioned to be Sutton’s top sidekick in 2025, as the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel notes the former second-round pick is the Broncos’ most likely WR2.

[RELATED: Assessing DL Zach Allen’s Extension Case]

Mims did not see too much time at receiver as a rookie, playing 38% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps. Denver was believed to be eyeing an increased role for the Oklahoma product after trading Jerry Jeudy, but Mims actually ended up with a lower snap rate (27%) in his second season. The deep threat, though, made considerable progress during the season’s second half.

After sitting on just 15 receptions for 56 yards through nine games, Mims totaled 32 grabs and 447 yards during the final eight. This included a 93-yard score in a shootout win over the Browns and two crucial TDs to force overtime in a Week 17 loss to the Bengals. Mims, 23, has been more impactful as a return-game presence in earning back-to-back first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner. But his elusiveness jumps out among the current Broncos’ receiving corps.

Sean Payton‘s first draft featured the Broncos lacking first- and second-round picks, thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, but the team traded back into Round 2 for Mims at No. 63. While the Broncos could certainly use Mims’ explosiveness in an offense that features some big-bodied contributors at the position, the dynamic returner has yet to command a starter-level usage rate through two seasons.

The Broncos used fourth- and seventh-round picks on Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, respectively, last year and saw each log more offensive snaps than Mims’ 297. Franklin played 37% of Denver’s offensive snaps as a rookie, while Vele — his final-round status notwithstanding — trailed only Sutton in terms of WR usage by playing 54% of the team’s snaps on offense. Vele, who is already 27 despite going into his second season, impressed during OTAs. The Broncos also used a third-round pick on Illinois’ Pat Bryant, a 204-pound prospect who posted just a 4.61-second 40-yard time at the Combine. The presences of Vele, who goes 6-5 and 210 pounds, and Bryant along with the 6-4 Sutton leave room for Mims’ explosiveness in Denver’s offense.

Connections to Cooper Kupp and Stefon Diggs surfaced earlier this offseason for the Broncos, but no close ties to Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper emerged. It appears Denver will go with its in-house group; Payton pointed in this direction before free agency. Though, the Evan Engram addition will be important to how Bo Nix‘s second-year targets are dispersed. The Broncos still appear to be counting on Mims to build on his late-season form and be a regular offensive contributor for the first time in his career.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Extension Candidate: Zach Allen

July 5th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

A central reason the Broncos were able to make the playoffs despite the record-shattering Russell Wilson dead money bill, Zach Allen has played his best football since relocating to Denver in 2023. The short-term J.J. Watt Cardinals sidekick has been one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior D-linemen in two Broncos seasons.

Allen signed a three-year, $45.75MM contract on Day 1 of the 2023 legal tampering period, following Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey as part of Sean Payton‘s aggressive transactional start to his Broncos tenure. While McGlinchey and Powers are respectively on five- and four-year deals, Allen is in a contract year. The former Cardinals third-round pick, who entered the NFL in Vance Joseph‘s first Arizona offseason, resides in a good position to cash in.

[RELATED: Top 2025 Salary Cap Hits For Defenders]

Allen recorded a whopping 40 QB hits last season; that not only led the NFL in 2024, it ranks near the top among modern pass-rushing seasons. Throughout the 2020s, only Nick Bosa‘s 2022 (48) and T.J. Watt‘s 2020 (41) delivered more QB hits than Allen’s 2024 brought. Even if the range is moved to cover the past 10 seasons, Allen’s 2024 showing still ranks eighth (J.J. Watt‘s peak was quite good). Allen also tallied 47 QB pressures last season; only Trey Hendrickson (54) produced more at any position.

A spring report pointed to Allen and Nik Bonitto being higher Broncos extension priorities compared to Courtland Sutton, who has been waiting for a deal longer. This is Bonitto’s first offseason of extension eligibility. Having spent his entire career in Joseph’s scheme, Allen represents a fairly safe bet for the Broncos. Going into only his age-28 season also represents a plus here, whereas Sutton will turn 30 in October. Allen has also expressed interest in a Broncos extension.

It can be argued Allen’s presence catalyzed Bonitto’s breakout. Both players zoomed to second-team All-Pro status, as Bonitto broke through for 13.5 sacks. Allen’s 8.5-sack total does not jump out as much, even with a Week 1 safety also landing on his resume, though Bonitto’s pressure numbers (36 to go with 24 hits) were not on the interior rusher’s level. Bonitto heading into his age-26 season will help his cause, but the Broncos also have the franchise tag to use in 2026.

Wilson’s punitive dead money penalty ending in 2025 would free up a tag slot for next year, and Bo Nix must remain on a rookie contract through at least 2026. Denver has John Franklin-Myers as a more affordable extension option in a contract year, and the team traded up for 3-4 DE Sai’Vion Jones in Round 3. It would seem unlikely, though, that the franchise — one set to rely on a top-tier defense once again — would chance moving on from Allen after one contract given his recent form and experience under Joseph.

The Broncos will be looking at a sizable raise here, as the defensive tackle market has moved twice since Allen’s March 2023 accord. As a second tier formed behind Aaron Donald‘s outlier deal in the spring and summer of 2023, four players (Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams) scored extensions between $22.5MM and $24MM per year. Chris Jones then used Donald’s deal as a springboard to gouge the Chiefs two days before the 2024 tampering period. Jones lifted the DT spot’s ceiling to $31.75MM per year and $60MM guaranteed at signing. Capitalizing on a Jones-less market, Christian Wilkins landed $27.5MM per year and $57MM at signing from the Raiders in 2024.

This year, Milton Williams became the NFL’s third-highest-paid interior D-lineman by commanding $26MM per year and $51MM at signing from the Patriots. Williams is nearly two years younger than Allen, but the ex-Eagle has not produced a season on the latter’s level. Even Allen’s 2023 featured 24 QB hits and 27 pressures. He has never been a sack maven, having tallied more than 5.5 just once. Williams’ next 5.5-sack season will be his first, however, while Wilkins and Nnamdi Madubuike each delivered outlier sack seasons in their 2023 contract years. Wilkins was also 28 when he signed his big-ticket Las Vegas deal.

Hitting free agency helped Wilkins and Milton Williams, and Allen could certainly bet on himself and do well in 2026. (Though, he will be negotiating ahead of an age-29 season in that scenario.) The Broncos will undoubtedly work to prevent that from happening, but even as the seventh-year vet can only negotiate with one team for the time being, that Payne-Lawrence-Simmons-Quinnen Williams tier should be a reasonable floor.

That is a steep hike from $15.25MM AAV, but the salary cap has ballooned from $224.8MM to $279.2MM since those 2023 extensions commenced. Allen’s camp will likely cite the Wilkins and Milton Williams deals as comps, making the previous DT second tier a logical compromise.

The Broncos extended four players — Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain, Jonathon Cooper and Garett Bolles — between July 16 and December 12 last year. GM George Paton also paid Sutton in-season back in 2021, and a potential in-season Bonitto payday could be on track. The Broncos will surely ramp up discussions with their top two front-seven pieces before Week 1. Carrying a high-pressure/modest-sack resume, Allen’s negotiations will be a key storyline to follow as the Broncos attempt to firmly establish themselves as contenders after last season’s surprising playoff trek.

2025 Offseason In Review Series

July 4th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are PFR’s breakdowns of each NFL team’s 2025 offseason. The list will be updated between now and Week 1.

AFC East

  • Buffalo Bills
  • Miami Dolphins
  • New England Patriots
  • New York Jets

AFC North

  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

  • Chicago Bears
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Minnesota Vikings

NFC South

NFC West

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
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