Denver's defensive star eyes a lucrative payday, projected to fetch $20 million annually. Multiple teams are vying for his high-impact play.
The Denver Broncos' promising season ended in a crushing loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game.
The injury to quarterback Bo Nix was a tough blow, and now the Broncos enter free agency trying to add pieces to make a Super Bowl run.
Unfortunately, star defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers is set to hit free agency, and he is a big name on the market.
All signs point to Franklin-Myers leaving in free agency and commanding plenty of cash elsewhere.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network named 10 free agents who could receive big paydays, and it shouldn't be a surprise that Franklin-Myers was on the list.
Previously, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler mentioned that Franklin-Myers could be in the $20 million per year range, and Pelissero said the same thing.
"Turning 30 in late September isn’t a big deal at a position where guys are playing longer and longer at a high level. With several suitors likely to be in the mix, look for Franklin-Myers' contract to top the $20 million-per-year mark," Pelissero wrote.
Franklin-Myers is also the No. 1 in his position in NFL.com's free agent rankings, and Calais Campbell is at No. 2.
The 29-year-old was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2018 NFL Draft after playing college football at Stephen F. Austin.
However, the Rams cut him after one year, and he then spent four seasons with the New York Jets before coming to Denver.
Because he was with the Jets, there is an obvious connection with the Tennessee Titans, who hired former San Francisco 49ers DC and ex-Jets head coach Robert Saleh to be the new coach, so perhaps Franklin-Myers goes to Tennessee.
Plus, the Titans have all sorts of cap space, and Saleh loves defensive players, so there is a popular link in that matter.
However, despite Fowler and Pelissero suggesting a $20 million per year deal, Spotrac's projected market value is estimated at two years and $15.7 million, which would be just under $8 million per season.
That would be very low, even for a player who will be 30 years old in September.
Franklin-Myers played in 16 regular-season games this past year with 7.5 sacks, and he had 14.5 total sacks in two years in Denver, so he can still produce at a high level.
NFL free agency will begin soon, and the Broncos' star is a big name to watch, but it seems unlikely that Denver will be able to make ends meet and bring him back in 2026.