The Broncos didn’t wait long to tidy up the books after bringing in inside linebacker Daiyan Henley from the Los Angeles Chargers, and the first move points to more business coming soon.
According to Spotrac, Denver restructured starting safety Talanoa Hufanga’s contract by converting $4.89 million of his current salary into a signing bonus. That created $3.9 million in cap space and changed the shape of the deal a bit down the line. Hufanga’s contract now carries cap hits of $9.5 million in 2026, $7.6 million in 2027, and $14.8 million in 2028, with the last season technically a void year.
Hufanga has been one of Denver’s best additions since arriving, and his impact has been obvious this season. He earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after picking off two passes in the Broncos’ Week 3 upset of the Los Angeles Rams.
“I mean, that’s who he is. He finally caught the ball,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on Oct.
- “That could have been him last year a couple of times, but he worked really hard on his ball skills.
He really did, seriously, over the spring and the summer. So it’s paying off.
He’s trusting the system, he’s trusting his leverage. When he came to us, he wasn’t a match or man-cover player.
He was more of a spot drop, vision and break player. So he’s learned how to play in this system, and the weak part of his game was his coverage, but now it’s a strong part of his game.”
Hufanga has missed the last four games because of an ankle injury, but he’s expected to be back when the Broncos return from their Week 10 bye to host the Las Vegas Raiders in Denver. The Raiders are set to start first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback in the Mile High City.
Because Denver was already under the cap when it acquired Henley - and is taking on less than $2 million in this year’s salary - the move strongly suggests another transaction is on the way. The most likely candidate is an extension for slot cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian.
McMillian is one of several Broncos entering the final year of their contracts, along with Riley Moss, Brandon Jones, and Marvin Mims. He’s been one of the league’s best nickels, piling up 21 solo tackles, seven pass deflections, three sacks, and an interception in 2026 while playing on a one-year, $5.76 million restricted free-agent tender. That puts him on track for his first shot at unrestricted free agency, though an extension could come before he gets there.
The former undrafted defender has clearly done enough to earn one, and he may be next in line.
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Broncos Just Made Jonah Coleman's Role Much More Important
The Broncos only move at the trade deadline was a deal with the Chargers for linebacker Daiyan Henley, a move that cost Denver two draft picks and addressed the defense rather than the backfield. For the offense, the more telling decision was what did not happen, since the team passed on adding a running back even as the position has become a little more fragile in recent weeks.
That puts a brighter spotlight on Jonah Coleman, who has been seeing more carries since coming back from injured reserve. J.K. Dobbins workload has trended down lately, and RJ Harvey is still on injured reserve until early December, so Denver is leaning into Colemans role at a time when the depth chart could have used another veteran option. [Read more 🡒]