Feb. 15, 2026, 8:00 a.m. MT
The Denver Broncos will be free from former quarterback Russell Wilson’s contract fallout when the NFL’s new league year begins next month, leaving them with minimal dead money remaining on their salary cap.
Denver cut Wilson in 2024, taking on the largest dead money salary cap hit in NFL history ($85 million). The Broncos spread that dead money over two seasons — $53 million in 2024 and $32 million in 2025 — and the team now has a healthy cap situation going into the 2026 offseason.
Denver has just two former players (wide receiver Trent Sherfield and running back Audric Estime) with notable dead money cap hits in 2026, according to OverTheCap.com. Sherfield still costs $850,000 against the cap and Estime has a $169,562 cap hit despite no longer being on the team.
Spotrac.com also lists 10 other players no longer with the team, with wide receiver Devaughn Vele counting $52,240 against the cap. Overall, OTC and Spotrac agree that the Broncos have a dead money total of just $1,218,922, which is the 11th-lowest total in the NFL. That puts Denver in a healthy situation going into NFL free agency next month.
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