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Ja’Quan McMillian #29 of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Kansas City Chiefs.
They don’t make players like Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian very often, and you can make an argument he’s exactly the kind of player you need on the roster if you want to win a Super Bowl.
You can make the case it’s players like McMillian who are the biggest reason the Broncos are where they’re at now — assuredly crushed emotionally after losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game but also assuredly set to be Super Bowl contenders when next season rolls around.
That’s why the calls are already coming in for the Broncos to bring back the former undrafted free agent and playoff hero after 4 seasons with the team.
From the Locked on Broncos podcast: “You don’t let a player like Ja’Quan get out of the building or else he’s going to go have success on another NFL team that needs a really good nickel cornerback. And then the Broncos are going to be kicking themselves down the line for it. I think regardless of your decision to draft (Jahdae) Barron, you find a way to pay Ja’Quan. He’s clearly earned that role. It’s his And I don’t think anyone is going to come for it.”
How much McMillian gets pid is another subject entirely — even though whatever it is will be worth it.
McMillian’s Playoff Heroics Cemented Status
There’s another argument to be made that McMillian may have made one play that was worth, in terms of value to the franchise, what he made in his first 4 seasons, combined — approximately $3 million — with a mind-bending, game-saving overtimie interception of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the AFC Divisonal Round.
It’s continued a pattern for McMillian of playing his best football against the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Remember that it’s McMillian who is the only player to log both an interception and a sack of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and 2-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes in a single game.
McMillian will be a restricted free agent, which means the Broncos will be able to match offers from any team and McMillian will have until April 17 to sign the deal, although free agency starts on March 11.
In the last 3 seasons, McMillian has played in 60 out of a possible 61 regular-season games with 15 starts and has 7 interceptions to with 195 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 24 pass deflections and 26 TFL. Those are starter numbers.
“There are different types of tenders the Broncos can offer McMillian,” 247Sports’ Stephen Igoe wrote. “A second-round tender seems like a strong possibility. That would mean McMillian would be offered a one-year contract worth more than $5 million, but another team can still offer him a contract. If an opposing team offers a deal to McMillian, the Broncos will have the chance to match it. If McMillian signs with a new team, that organization will have to forfeit a second-round pick to Denver. There’s also a first-round tender option Denver could put on McMillian that would give him a one-year contract worth more than $7 million. But this would be the most expensive, and unlikeliest for any other team to sign him, due to the substantial cost of a first-round pick.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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