Key Broncos Cornerback Should Be Next Up In Extension Parade

The Denver Broncos are just starting their badly-needed bye week, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be just resting while they’re inactive until they start playing again. Last year the Broncos used the bye week to dole out a series of well-deserved extensions, and fans and some players are wondering if that will happen again. 

If the Broncos do decide to go that route, the players who’s the most eligible is probably cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. He’s been making plays for Denver since the end of last season, and the cornerback has also stepped up recently with both Riley Moss and Pat Surtain II out with injuries. 

The latest example of this happened against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, as the nickel cornerback finished with six tackles, including two for loss, and a sack of Bryce Young, forcing a fourth-and-18 with less than four minutes to go in regulation, according to a report from Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. 

This is business as usual for McMillian, who’s quietly become a star at his position. Now he’s got the playmaker reputation, and the Broncos would be wise to pay him for what he’s done. 

That’s where things get complicated, however. The Broncos only have about $5 million in cap space available, which is much less than they had last year. 

McMillian is currently making $5.7 million, per Gabriel, which means he’s seriously underpaid. It remains to be seen if he wants to break the bank with another team,which he certainly has the talent to do, but the Broncos are a tight-knit group and loyalty runs high between many of the players. 

The smart money says Denver will find a way to get this done. It won’t be easy, but McMillian is too valuable right now, and he’s proven that over and over again. 

Another argument here is that McMillian has thoroughly outplayed Jahdae Barron, who was a first-round draft pick. Barron is struggling this season with increased playing time, so that part of the money equation looks fairly simple. 

McMillian is also an integral part of a secondary that’s struggled with injuries, and he’s helped hold things together. The Broncos have a defense that wins games for them, unlike most contenders, and this isn’t something coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton can afford to mess around with, both short-term and for the long haul as they head into the second half of the season.