New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan during an NFL game.

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The Denver Broncos received plenty of good news this offseason, especially after the blockbuster trade to bring in Jaylen Waddle. However, more moves could be on the horizon.
The Broncos were urged to sign veteran pass rusher Cameron Jordan after John Franklin-Myers’ departure left what some view as Denver’s biggest remaining roster need.

That idea got a direct push from the Locked On Broncos podcast, which argued Jordan makes sense as a veteran answer on the defensive front because of his production, versatility, durability and long-standing ties to Broncos coach Sean Payton. The timing is not hard to understand. ESPN recently identified defensive line as the Broncos’ biggest free-agent loss after Franklin-Myers signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.

That is what makes this more than a throwaway podcast take.

The Broncos are coming off a season in which their pass rush remained a defining strength. Denver’s official 2025 team stats list 68 sacks, so this is not a defense searching for a new identity as much as it is trying to preserve one after losing a key piece up front. Jordan, meanwhile, is still available in free agency, and NFL.com’s 2026 free-agent rankings noted that he posted 10.5 sacks in 2025 at age 36.

 

Why Cam Jordan makes sense for the Broncos

The cleanest football argument is the one the podcast made: Denver does not necessarily need Jordan to be his prime version. It needs someone who can help replace the snaps, pressure and versatility Franklin-Myers brought to the front. The hosts argued Jordan could help in multiple alignments, mentor younger players and fit naturally into Payton’s culture because Payton drafted him in New Orleans in 2011.

The résumé is still the strongest selling point. The headline number works because Jordan has 132 career sacks, and NFL.com’s free-agent coverage also highlighted his durability, noting he has missed only two games across a 15-year career. That matches the podcast’s argument that Denver would not just be signing a famous name; it would be adding a player with proven availability and a recent productive season.

The bigger Broncos angle is John Franklin-Myers

Franklin-Myers was not just another free-agent departure. ESPN explicitly called him Denver’s biggest loss up front, and Over the Cap’s 2027 compensatory-picks projection singled him out as the major Broncos departure likely to command a lucrative deal elsewhere. That matters because it is framed around a real vacancy, not just a recognizable veteran still sitting on the market.

The podcast leaned into that same point, arguing the Broncos should not simply assume younger options will fully replace Franklin-Myers’ impact right away, especially on a defense built around pressure and depth along the front. Denver’s formula under Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph works best when the rush stays deep and fresh.

What could stop Denver from making the move

There is an obvious counterargument, and it is worth including early instead of pretending it does not exist.

Jordan turns 37 during the 2026 season, so this would be a short-term move, not a long-term answer. NFL.com’s free-agency board lists him as a 37-year-old edge defender, and Over the Cap’s free-agency tracker estimated his market value in a modest veteran range rather than as a massive payday. In other words, the question is not whether Jordan can still help. The question is whether Denver wants to spend on a rotational veteran instead of keeping those snaps open for younger players.

There is also the compensatory-pick wrinkle. Over the Cap’s explainer on compensatory picks outlines how qualifying free-agent losses and signings can offset one another, and OTC’s Broncos projection already identifies Franklin-Myers as a meaningful departure in that formula. The podcast raised the same issue, arguing Denver would have to decide whether sacrificing some future draft value is worth adding a veteran who could help now.

Why this Broncos rumor has some real logic

That is why this one lands better than a lot of late-March free-agent chatter.

There is no report that Denver is closing in on Jordan, and that distinction matters. But there is a credible team need, a coach-player connection, a productive veteran still on the market, and a roster case that is easy for Broncos fans to understand. Jordan’s appeal here is not that he would walk in as Denver’s new top sack artist. It is that he could help stabilize the one area of the roster that took the clearest hit when Franklin-Myers left.

For a Broncos team trying to keep its defensive identity intact, that is why the Cam Jordan idea is at least worth taking seriously.

 

Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson

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