Sean Payton didn’t leave much room for interpretation when he talked about Ja’Quan McMillian’s future in Denver.
Asked in June whether he wants the nickel cornerback with the Broncos long term, Payton answered, “Absolutely,” and then laid out exactly why he feels that way. McMillian, he said, has a way of finding the football.
“The ball finds him. We keep talking about taking it away.
We even forget Buffalo on the road, Monday night [in] ’23. The first series of the game, ball’s out and he’s causing a fumble.
He’s just around it all. That’s not just good fortune-that’s the skill set.”
That kind of production has made McMillian one of the more important names to watch as Denver looks ahead at cornerback. Pat Surtain II is locked in on a four-year, $96 million extension signed in 2024, and the Broncos also gave him an extra $5 million raise this offseason after his Defensive Player of the Year season. But after this year, Denver’s other two starting corners are headed toward free agency, with Moss and McMillian both in contract years.
McMillian’s size has never been the selling point. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, he’s still managed to become a constant source of disruption for Denver’s defense since taking on a bigger role in 2023. In that span, he has six interceptions, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, with two of those picks going for touchdowns.
“He has all the things you’re looking for. Like when I say grit, chip on his shoulder,” Payton said.
And the numbers only tell part of the story. Over the past three seasons, McMillian has added seven sacks, 16 tackles for a loss and nine quarterback hits, showing how much more he brings than just coverage snaps.
His biggest moment, though, came in January in the Divisional Round. Denver and Buffalo were tied 30-30 in overtime when Josh Allen launched a 44-yard pass toward the end of the field, trying to get the Bills into game-winning field goal range.
Brandin Cooks seemed to have it at Denver’s 20-yard line, but McMillian ripped the ball free for an interception. Six plays later, Wil Lutz drilled a 23-yard field goal to send the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game.
Payton said the play came up again around McMillian’s birthday.
“It was his birthday the other day, and we played that interception,” Payton said on June 11. “I told him, I said, ‘There will be a day you come to visit me [in a long-term care facility], and I’ll be having applesauce. I won’t remember your name, but I’ll remember that play.”
“You’re going to have to tell me your name, and I’m going to be able to tell you the play and the down and distance in the game,'” Payton said with a smile. “And he laughed.”
McMillian’s path makes the case even stronger. He arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2022, yet last season he held off Denver’s 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron. Payton has made a habit of saying draft status doesn’t matter once players are in the building.
“There’s a spot in all of our hearts for anyone-whether they’re first, second, third round or undrafted-that competes the way he does, plays the way he does and has the respect of his teammates,” Payton said. “That’s ultimately probably I think one of the most important things a player, coach or anyone in this industry wants is the respect of his peers.
Like, ‘You know you’re going to have to play against him.’ I think he has that.”
Payton also doesn’t sound worried about McMillian letting a contract year get in the way of his play.
“I think he’s so focused in preparing to play and play well. I’m sure he’ll compartmentalize that, and it will take care of itself very well,” the head coach said when asked whether he has spoken with McMillian about the looming payday. “He’s doing real well.”
For Denver, the message is clear: McMillian has already done enough to earn Payton’s trust, and maybe a whole lot more. Whether it was the sack of Patrick Mahomes that helped seal a win over the Chiefs in November or the overtime interception against Josh Allen in January, he keeps showing up in the biggest moments. And Payton, quite plainly, wants him around.
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