The Broncos are in their bye week, but the front office may not be taking a break from bigger-picture business. After using last year’s bye to hand out a run of extensions, Denver could be headed for a similar move again - and Ja’Quan McMillian looks like the clearest candidate to get paid.
McMillian has been one of the Broncos’ most reliable playmakers, and Sunday’s performance against the Carolina Panthers only strengthened that case. According to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, the nickel cornerback had six tackles, including two for loss, and a sack of Bryce Young that helped force a fourth-and-18 with less than four minutes left in regulation.
That kind of impact has become familiar. McMillian has been making plays for Denver since the end of last season, and his role has grown even more important with Riley Moss and Pat Surtain II sidelined by injuries. He’s not just filling in - he’s becoming a central piece of what the Broncos do on defense.
The money side is where the conversation gets tricky. Denver has only about $5 million in cap space, far less than it had a year ago, while McMillian is making $5.7 million, per Gabriel. That gap makes him look underpaid for the level he’s delivering.
There’s also the question of whether another team could try to lure him away with a bigger offer. McMillian clearly has the talent to draw that kind of attention, but the Broncos have built a tight-knit locker room, and loyalty carries real weight inside that group.
Still, the expectation is that Denver will try to make something work. It won’t be simple, but McMillian has done enough to make himself hard to ignore.
There’s another layer to this, too: McMillian has outplayed Jahdae Barron, the first-round pick who has been struggling this season with increased playing time. That only sharpens the argument that McMillian deserves the next deal.
And with injuries testing the secondary, his value goes beyond one position. He’s helped keep the back end together for a defense that has been a game-winner for the Broncos, and that’s not something Sean Payton and George Paton can afford to take lightly as they move into the second half of the season.
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