Broncos Eye Roster Upgrades with $25M Cap Space

The Denver Broncos are entering the 2026 NFL offseason with roughly 25 million dollars in salary cap space and a clear mandate to bolster their roster after a promising 2025 campaign that ended one game shy of the Super Bowl. Head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton have expressed confidence in the core group while identifying needs at wide receiver, running back, tight end and linebacker, setting the stage for an aggressive push in free agency and the draft beginning next week.

The team's financial flexibility stems from shedding the final remnants of Russell Wilson's contract, leaving Denver with just 1.2 million dollars in dead cap money, one of the league's lowest figures. Officials have already committed about 5.8 million dollars to a second-round tender for nickel back Ja'Quan McMillian and signed tackle Alex Palczewski to a two-year extension, with an additional 4 million dollars allocated for their 2026 draft class. Payton highlighted the advantages of this position last month, stating, "If I said I'm going to give you 50,000 to decorate your home or 200,000, your home's going to look nicer, I think, if you're a decent shopper."