The Denver Broncos are enjoying their best season in years and thoughts of a Super Bowl are on the minds of every fan in Broncos Country. But regardless of how this season finishes up, the team will have some tough decisions to make after the year.
The Broncos have been proactive in getting players under contract for the future, signing Courtland Sutton, Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Wil Lutz, Luke Wattenberg and Malcolm Roach all to contract extensions this season. But you can't keep everyone and in the business that is the NFL, there is going to be some turnover.
These five players may want to give it their all to earn their Super Bowl rings with the Broncos this season, as there is a good chance they will be elsewhere next year.
John Franklin-Myers among five Broncos who won't be back in 2026
John Franklin-Myers, DL
Rest assured, the Broncos want to keep John Franklin-Myers in the fold. After trading for him during the 2024 NFL Draft, the Broncos have gotten a huge contribution out of Franklin-Myers. But he is set to become an unrestricted free agent and he is simply going to be too expensive to keep.
The Broncos (rightly) prioritized signing Allen and Bonitto. The team also traded back into the third round of this year's draft to select Sai'vion Jones. That was with an eye toward the future as, even back then, the Broncos were acknowledging the strong possibility that they would lose JFM.
It would be great if the team could work something out in order to keep him around, but it doesn't seem likely.
P.J. Locke, Safety
P.J. Locke is going to get his chance to earn his keep as he will move into a starting role with Brandon Jones being placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury. Jones' loss could be massive for the Broncos' defense, but if Locke is able to step up, he could earn a chance to get a new deal with the team.
Locke will be an unrestricted free agent following the season.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
It will be very interesting to see what the Broncos choose to do with J.K. Dobbins, but his tenure in Denver could end the same way it did in Los Angeles.
Dobbins was running as well as nearly any running back in the league before suffering a foot injury in Week 10. There is a slight chance that Dobbins could play again this season if the Broncos make a deep playoff run and any performance from that point could only help his chances to earn a new deal. But it's hard to ignore his injury history.
The Chargers were unable to do that this past offseason despite Dobbins playing quite well for them last year. The team made no real attempt to bring him back and instead signed Najee Harris and used a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton.
The Broncos will need to decide if they have enough with RJ Harvey leading the charge or if they want to give Dobbins another one-year deal.
Drew Sanders, LB
There isn't much to think about here. It's a shame, but Drew Sanders just isn't going to work out for this team. He's spent nearly all of his career with the Broncos on some sort of injured list and has offered very little to the team in terms of on-field production.
The Broncos need to cut their losses with the former third-round pick.
Mike McGlinchey, OT
This would be seen as a bit of a surprise, but the Broncos could get $17.5 million back against the salary cap (while taking a $6.2 million dead money hit) by cutting Mike McGlinchey after June 1, 2026. That is purely speculative, but if the team needs to create some extra spending room, this would be one way to do it.
McGlinchey hasn't been terrible for the Broncos, but he hasn't lived up to the five-year, $87.5 million deal he signed in 2023. The Broncos could take a shot on former undrafted free agent Frank Crum or search for McGlinchey's replacement in the draft.
READ: Justin Strnad ruled out for Week 16, UDFA has chance to step up
More Broncos Content
Former Pro Bowl wide receiver makes huge claim for Denver Broncos this season
Denver Broncos give clear sign that key offensive starter will return to action in Week 16
Former Broncos quarterback's career path takes surprising turn
NFL Power Rankings: Did beating the Packers in Week 15 push the Broncos to the top?
Broncos should strongly consider a Justin Simmons reunion in wake of Brandon Jones injury