With 24 total players facing a contract decision, there are three Denver Broncos free agents George Paton must re-sign in 2026.
That’s not to say he will only re-sign three of them; many of the Broncos free agents will return to the team next year.
But these are the most-important guys he needs to focus on keeping in the Mile High City.
3 Denver Broncos free agents George Paton has to re-sign for 2026
Free agency begins on March 9, and Broncos GM George Paton as well as head coach Sean Payton have a lot of important decisions to make.
But three players demand the most focus from the Broncos braintrust.
Justin Strnad
Strnad, the fifth-year inside linebacker, has become more and more important to the team as time has gone on.
He started 16 games over the last two seasons, filling in for both Alex Singleton and then Dre Greenlaw as well. All while being an important special teams contributor.
According to Pro Football Focus, Strnad had his best season yet last year with a 72.1 overall grade. Where he was most effective was as part of Denver’s brilliant pass rushing. Strnad generated 17 pressures on 82 pass rush snaps and was 16th-best (72.5) among inside linebackers.
He was also solid in coverage. PFF gave him a 73.8 grade, which was 10th among ILBs.
Singleton is also a free agent. But Paton should prioritize Strnad because he’d be cheaper to re-sign. OTC values him at $5.5M for next year, which would be a steal for a starting linebacker. Meanwhile Singleton’s valuation is $10.3M.
Inking Strnad gives the Broncos the freedom to still sign another player, or continue to see if one of the other guys—Drew Sanders, Levelle Bailey, or Karene Reid—will step up for the team.
J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins is a similar no-brainer re-sign for those same reasons.
After playing for the Broncos last year, he knows Sean Payton’s offense inside and out, meaning he wouldn’t have to learn the plays, nor his role on the team.
Denver could continue to develop RJ Harvey behind him, but allow Dobbins to continue to be the starting back. And if Harvey starts to break out, they could switch their roles; Dobbins seems like the kind of team player who would take a demotion well.
Last year, he only made $2M for the Broncos in a cap-friendly deal. If Denver can sign him for around that number—OTC has him at $2M valuation again—they should do it, no questions asked. That’s a complete steal for a starting running back, and like with Strnad, it gives Paton and Payton the flexibility to sign a free agent back, too.
Throw a Tyler Allgeier in the mix, and Denver’s backfield becomes incredibly versatile and deep rather than very thin like it is currently.
Ja’Quan McMillian
McMillian is a special case because he’s a restricted free agent. That being the case, they can protect him by putting a tender on him; meaning if another team signs him, Denver would be entitled to a draft pick.
And the thinking there is a second-round tender.
That would be a $5.8M for one season.
According to his Over the Cap valuation, that would be an insane steal because they say he should come in at $14.4M for 2026.
The Broncos need to work on a long-term deal for McMillian. I get that they are deep at the position—Pat Surtain, Riley Moss, and Jhadae Barron are all there—but McMillian continually proved himself last year. Time and time again.
He came up with the massive sack of Patrick Mahomes on 3rd down which helped the Broncos knock off the Chiefs in November. His four sacks led all defensive backs, and his 78.3 grade from PFF was 6th-best.
Plus, he had one of the best plays of the season—one of the best plays in Denver Broncos history—in picking off Josh Allen in the Divisional Round.
If Denver can lock up those three guys, they’ll be well on their way to competing for the Super Bowl again in 2026.