Broncos Biggest Cap Hit Comes From An Offensive Lineman

If you’re looking for evidence that the Denver Broncos do things differently from other NFL teams, follow the money trail. Connor Byrne of ProFootballRumors.com did an intriguing piece listing the biggest salary cap hit for every team in the AFC, and the Broncos name was an offensive lineman. 

Tackle Mike McGlinchey is the lineman in question, and he comes with a cap hit of $23.78 million, according to Byrne. The only other team with an offensive lineman in this category is the woeful Tennessee Titans, who have a cap hit of $25.35 million tied to left tackle Dan Moore Jr. 

This list is also noteworthy for several other reasons, especially since Byrne ranked his list from top to bottom in payouts. Based on his ranking, the Broncos ranked 13th out of 16 teams, which speaks to their effective cap management at the moment. 

The Broncos did their heavy lifting with this during the season, as they did multiple extensions to some of their key players during their bye week. 

They followed up by taking care of several other players after the playoffs and before the draft. Cap management has been a high priority for Denver ever since coach Sean Payton took over and the Broncos decided to take on the massive cap hit that came with moving on from quarterback Russell Wilson. 

As for McGlinchey, he remains one of the team’s smartest moves up front. Denver got the former San Francisco 49ers tackle in 2023 via free agency, as they signed him to a three-year, $87.5 million deal. McGlinchey missed four games in 2024, but he was Mr. Reliable last year as he started all 17 games.

According to Byrne, no Broncos offensive player other than quarterback Bo Nix logged more snaps than McGlinchey. The 6-foot-8, 315-pounder played the second-most snaps (1,127) among all offensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 18th among 84 qualifying tackles. 

This ranking won’t last, of course. There were rumors during the offseason that a couple of other prominent members of the offensive line might be cap cuts, with guard Ben Powers being the most prominent name. 

The dark cloud out on the horizon is the end of Nix’s rookie contract, which happens at the end of next season. Payton is well aware of this, as is GM George Paton, and it’s lent an air of urgency to Denver’s efforts to take that last step and get to the Super Bowl and win.