While the Denver Broncos appear poised to part ways with defensive end John Franklin-Myers, the decision may not be as definite as it seems. The Broncos face a challenging salary cap situation, but recent examples like the New Orleans Saints’ annual cap maneuvers and the Kansas City Chiefs’ handling of Patrick Mahomes’ contract demonstrate that teams can stretch limits to retain key players.
John Franklin-Myers, 29, currently carries a two-year, $15 million contract and has completed eight NFL seasons, including two with the Broncos. His anticipated contract value hovers around $7.9 million annually, according to Spotrac projections.
What Franklin-Myers Brings to the Broncos’ Defensive Front
Franklin-Myers has shown consistent pass-rush production, marking the highest sack totals of his career in back-to-back seasons with seven sacks in 2024 and 7.5 in 2025. Among interior defensive linemen (IDLs) league-wide, he is one of only four to reach seven or more sacks in consecutive seasons. Pro Football Focus ranks him 13th in quarterback hit rate within true pass-rush sets among 136 qualifying IDLs and 11th overall in QB hits across all pass-rush snaps. Additionally, he ranks 19th in pressure rate and 60th in run-stop percentage among his peers.
Reasons Denver Might Want to Keep Franklin-Myers
The Broncos’ defensive line has been one of the NFL’s strongest units, featuring three players ranked in the top 15 IDLs for quarterback hits during true pass-rush plays. Franklin-Myers, alongside Zach Allen and Malcolm Roach, positioned themselves at 1st, 2nd, and 13th respectively out of 136 IDLs in this category for the 2025 season. Another lineman, D.J. Jones, finished 30th, rounding out a line that dominated the league. Overall, Denver had more IDLs ranked in the NFL’s top 20 for QB hits than any other team had in the top 30.
Factors Leading to the Likely Departure of Franklin-Myers
The impetus for parting ways with Franklin-Myers is not rooted in his performance but rather the Broncos’ financial and roster decisions. In the past year, Denver heavily invested in its defensive line by re-signing D.J. Jones, Zach Allen, and Malcolm Roach, guaranteeing a combined $109.5 million to these players. The roster currently supports a surplus of interior linemen, including promising talent like Sai’vion Jones, a 2025 third-round draft pick who saw some playing time despite the position’s depth.
The Broncos maintained seven interior defensive linemen on their roster during much of the season, exceeding the typical six seen on most 3-4 teams. The preseason success of players such as Jordan Jackson and Enyi Uwazurike contributed to this depth, though it meant that two linemen were often inactive during games to accommodate the roster size.
Outlook for Franklin-Myers and What’s Ahead
Although Franklin-Myers has expressed a desire to remain with the Broncos and continue working with the defensive line unit he values, the reality suggests otherwise. His pass-rush skills are highly sought after, and despite Denver’s All-Pro talents like Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto, Franklin-Myers offers a unique skill set that will attract interest from multiple teams across the league.
Expect Franklin-Myers to secure a contract elsewhere that properly reflects his abilities, representing a clear upgrade for many prospective teams looking to strengthen their defensive front.
“He made that clear late last month.” ?@MaseDenver
