And that sandwich has contained mere smatterings of Mims, since Denver traded up into the second round in 2023 to draft him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy big thing is, \u2018You know what? Things might not go the way I want \u2018em to go,’\u201d Mims told The Post in Las Vegas in early December, after a Broncos win over the Raiders. \u201cAnd that\u2019s, pssh, 90% of players in the league. At the end of the day, when my number\u2019s called, when my opportunity comes, I gotta be ready for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The infrequency of those opportunities, though, leaves Mims and the Broncos in a complicated position as the final year of his rookie contract approaches in 2026. The league-wide open market for wide receivers is skyrocketing. And if Mims does, indeed, manage to see more looks in Payton\u2019s system this fall, that could inflate his value as an upside receiver and All-Pro-caliber returner similar to Seattle\u2019s Rashid Shaheed \u2014 who the Seahawks just extended for three years and $17 million annually in March.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does have some production as a receiver, and he\u2019s young,\u201d an NFL agent with knowledge of the wide-receiver market told The Post. \u201cAnd I believe he\u2019s only going to get better \u2014 or he should, with the quarterback and the system. But when you throw in the All-Pro return ability as well, that should drive his market up even more. I mean, a guy like that, depending on how he plays this year, he should definitely be in the eight digits (yearly) somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several NFL agents who spoke to The Post for background on the league-wide demand for receivers pinpointed Mims\u2019 current value, indeed, upwards of $10 million per year on the open market. One agent with several wide-receiver clients projected Mims could command between $11 to $13 million annually, which could rise \u201cdepending on how well he does this season,\u201d as the agent said.<\/p>\n
![\"Marvin](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/TDP-L-BRONCOS-RAIDERSA03_8842x.jpg\")
Marvin Mims Jr. (19) of the Denver Broncos celebrates returning a punt for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n
Another agent said Shaheed\u2019s deal \u2014 a Super Bowl champion who ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the NFC Divisional round \u2014 could help Mims\u2019 value rise. Shaheed has averaged 44 receiving yards per game across his career to Mims\u2019 25, but averaged just 20.9 after being traded to Seattle midseason in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he does what he did return-wise,\u201d the agent said on Mims, \u201cand jumps his numbers up to like 40 or 50 catches, now that\u2019s \u2014 he should get a real nice, hefty raise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any path to that leap, though, is muddied by the Broncos\u2019 acquisition of Jaylen Waddle, a receiver with a similar frame and similar strengths to Mims. Payton loves Waddle\u2019s ability as a true route runner, as Denver\u2019s offensive staff has not always trusted Mims to run a full route tree. And Waddle\u2019s sudden presence presents two inverse realities.<\/p>\n
One: Mims\u2019 production as a receiver could be tamped down enough in 2026 for a team-friendlier extension. Two: Would the Broncos want to pay Mims eight figures annually when Waddle is under contract through 2028?<\/p>\n
Despite a clearly crowded stable of pass-catchers, Mims still has more untapped upside in Denver\u2019s offense. The Broncos, for one, want to identify another reliable returner for kickoffs, which could preserve Mims\u2019 body<\/a> for punt returns and more offensive touches. Mims thrives when he can get the ball in motion, and he finished second among all NFL receivers in average yards of route separation (4.5) from defenders in 2025. And when called upon with injuries to Denver\u2019s receiving corps in the playoffs, he put together his best two-game stretch of the season, with 12 catches for 155 yards.<\/p>\n That wasn\u2019t enough, though, to prevent the Broncos from trading for Waddle to add an element of offensive \u201cexplosiveness,\u201d as quarterback Bo Nix put it in mid-June. And Mims could well find himself in an unenviable middle ground, with his open-market value deflated by lack of receiving production but inflated into tricky spending territory for Denver.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to get a chance to do special things this year,\u201d Mims said in early May, when asked about any potential contract talks with the Broncos. \u201cSo I want to do that, have fun, and just enjoy. And after the season, or during the season \u2014 depending on my agent \u2014 we\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n