The Denver Broncos made a series of moves during their bye week to lock up most of their key free agents, but there’s one player who got missed. Defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers is a key figure in the Broncos’ devastating pass rush, but he’s currently listed as the sixth-rated free agent in a recent piece by Austin Gayle of The Ringer.
According to Gayle, Franklin-Myers sits outside the Top 40 interior defensive linemen in average value at just $7.5 million, and he should double that with his new deal in 2026. His physical attributes are impressive, with Gayle listing his relentless motor and “violent hands” as just two of them.
Franklin-Myers can also affect the pass rush from multiple positions along the line of scrimmage, so his versatility is impressive as well. Franklin-Myers has logged seven sacks and 15+ quarterback hits in back-to-back seasons with the Broncos, so it’s time for him to get paid.
So why won’t the Broncos be paying him? Rest assured, none of this is the least bit intentional. There are several reasons Franklin-Myers got left out, but the biggest is the salary cap. The Broncos have a lot of good pass rushers, and they extended as many as they could back in their bye week.
Paying Franklin-Myers would likely mean a shortfall in another area where the Broncos need to have cash and cap space available, so he gets to be the odd man out. Every team faces tough situations like this on an annual basis, and that's the case with the Broncos and their group of elite pass rushers.
Ironically, this also happened to Franklin-Myers with the New York Jets a couple of years ago. The lineman was part of a superb defense that included multiple effective pass rushers, and Franklin-Myers was the odd man out in that situation as well.
None of this is the lineman’s fault, of course, and GM George Paton and coach Sean Payton know that he deserves to get paid. This is basically how the salary cap works for certain key players at pivotal points in their career, and they understand that Franklin-Myers shouldn’t have to take a lowball offer.
The hope in Denver is that the Broncos can get the bye, then make a deep playoff run that will help Franklin-Myers get an even bigger contract. That would be a huge win-win for a lineman who’s been a big part of Denver’s return to prominence, not to mention the team as well.