Taking a look at the top 10 Denver Broncos under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
An incredible season by the Denver Broncos ended in great disappointment, following a last-second injury to Bo Nix, leaving him absent from the AFC Championship. Broncos fans likely feel like this was a missed opportunity at a Super Bowl win, and how could they not? Still, is this team built to contend again this upcoming season?
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Denver Broncos still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All Denver Broncos salary cap data below is accurate as of February 19th, 2026.
10 Best Denver Broncos Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Denver Broncos still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Mike McGlinchey, OT ($23.8M)
- Quinn Meinerz, G ($21.7M)
- Pat Surtain II, CB ($16.8M)
- Zach Allen, DL ($16.5M)
- DJ Jones, DL ($14.6M)
- Talanoa Hufanga, S ($13.5M)
- Dre Greenlaw, LB ($10.4M)
- Nik Bonitto, EDGE ($8.4M)
- Bo Nix, QB ($5.1M)
- Wil Lutz, K ($2.5M)
Highest Denver Broncos Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Denver Broncos’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- OT Mike McGlinchey, $23.8M ($15.3M dead cap)
- G Quinn Meinerz, $21.7M ($30M)
- G Ben Powers, $18.2M ($9.8M)
- CB Pat Surtain II, $16.8M ($53.4M)
- DL Zach Allen, $16.5M ($48.7M)
- DL DJ Jones, $14.6M ($19.4M)
- TE Evan Engram, $14.2M ($10.3M)
- EDGE Jonathon Cooper, $14M ($17.3M)
- WR Courtland Sutton, $14M ($39.4M)
- S Talanoa Hufanga, $13.5M (17M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 53 | $99,041,638 | $535,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 60 | $52,745,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 54 | $40,994,285 | $6,469,150 |
| 10 | NE | 64 | $35,200,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 11 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 12 | ARI | 61 | $34,823,790 | $3,934,104 |
| 13 | ATL | 51 | $26,181,296 | $2,235,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 54 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 58 | $22,523,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 56 | $11,687,593 | $9,341,094 |
| 19 | PHI | 65 | $9,814,036 | $40,359,938 |
| 20 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 57 | -$5,387,142 | $20,922,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | JAX | 62 | -$9,166,552 | $42,000,184 |
| 26 | BUF | 63 | -$10,522,073 | $432,166 |
| 27 | CHI | 54 | -$10,688,349 | $542,995 |
| 28 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$31,529,252 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
