Barring several contract extensions, the Denver Broncos‘ impressive defensive line rotation could look very different in 2026.
It’s no surprise that Denver used a third-round pick to select Sai’vion Jones in this year’s NFL draft because three of the team’s defensive linemen are scheduled to become free agents in 2026. The Broncos would probably like to bring them all back, but the salary cap might make that impractical.
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Denver’s two starting defensive ends — Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers — are both set to hit free agency in 2026, as is key rotational lineman Malcolm Roach.
Allen is probably the team’s first priority for a contract extension, but if he gets $25 million per season, it might be hard to also bring back JFM. Roach could be easier to retain because his market rate is lower.
If the Broncos end up letting JFM walk next year, Jones could be an ideal candidate to replace him in the starting lineup. And if Denver somehow manages to bring everyone back, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will be overjoyed to retain an extremely deep rotation. Whatever happens, we’ll follow all the decisions on Broncos Wire.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos have 3 key DL set to hit free agency in 2026