Riley Moss isn’t spending his contract year looking over his shoulder. The Denver Broncos cornerback is heading into his fourth season, and while a new deal could be on the horizon, he’s making it clear the money side isn’t where his focus is.
“To be honest, no. It’ll handle itself out like it always has,” Moss said via The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel. “I trust in God, and I trust in myself, and I’m just going to go out, do my thing, continue to do my thing, and the rest will take care of itself.”
That’s the mindset for a player who has already carved out a real role in Denver. Moss was part of Sean Payton’s first draft class in 2023, and he’s grown into one of the NFL’s better No. 2 cornerbacks. The Broncos have plenty of business to sort through with other key players, including defensive backfield teammate Ja'Quan McMillian, but Moss has given them every reason to keep him in the long-term plan.
The biggest issue with Moss has never been talent. It’s been the flags.
He was penalized 12 times last season, a number that pushed the limits of reason for a cornerback who otherwise did a lot of things well. Moss said he worked on the technical issues during the Broncos’ Week 12 bye, and the penalties disappeared down the stretch and through Denver’s playoff run.
That turnaround matters. If the Broncos believe the penalty problems are behind him for good, Moss becomes an easy extension candidate.
Patrick Surtain II even joked about the situation on his Closed On Sundays podcast in October, saying, "Riley [is] balling, bro. I ain't going to lie.
I think they're racial profiling my dog, though, man," Surtain said in October on his Closed On Sundays podcast. "They're calling all these flags on my boy, man.
I ain't going to lie; the flags is egregious."
Whether that had anything to do with the officiating shift or not, Moss cleaned it up and kept producing. He has been a steady starter since 2024, and when Surtain missed three games last season because of injury, Moss slid into the No. 1 corner role and handled it well. Denver’s defense kept rolling without a drop-off.
There’s still another area where Moss can raise his value: turnovers. Through his pro career, he has two interceptions and one forced fumble, and after finishing the 2025 season with 19 passes defensed - while being the NFL’s most-targeted cornerback - he wants more than just breakups.
“It’s me, myself and I,” Moss said via Gabriel. “I only had one pick and I had like (19) passes defended or whatever the heck it was.
We’re going to start coming down with those a little more often. That’s something you work in practice and we’re going to get some more turnovers for sure.”
That’s also been a priority for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph this offseason. Denver nearly finished with a single-season franchise low by recording just 14 takeaways last year, and the Broncos are hoping that number climbs in 2026 so Bo Nix and the offense can get extra chances.
As for Moss’s contract, the Broncos have a couple of likely windows if they decide to get something done. GM George Paton usually works extensions in August, right before the season, or during the bye. Training camp opens July 28, and Denver’s bye comes in Week 10.
If the Broncos don’t extend him, Moss could set himself up for a major payday next offseason, with the chance to land $20-plus million per year as a top CB2 with CB1 upside. But that would require another strong season in 2026 and good health to match.
For now, Moss is betting on himself. And the Broncos may decide before long that the safest bet is to keep him right where he is.
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