The Denver Broncos are poised to lose a key member of their defense this offseason.

Defensive end John Franklin-Myers is expected to “hit it big” when free agency gets underway later this week.

“I continue to hear that John Franklin-Myers will hit it big in free agency,” reported ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday. “He’s the top interior rusher on the market and the draft isn’t overly strong at his spot. He has several teams in the mix.”

Franklin-Myers, who started his career with the Los Angeles Rams before spending five seasons with the New York Jets, joined the Broncos ahead of the 2024 season.

The California native enjoyed the best two seasons of his career in Denver, totaling 14.5 sacks and 65 tackles in 33 games.

Denver is reportedly ready to move on from John Franklin-Myers

It sounds like Denver isn’t interested in getting into a bidding war for Franklin-Myers.

The Denver Gazette reported last week that the Broncos haven’t had discussions about bringing the defensive lineman back in 2026.

“A source said Thursday that Denver is not looking to re-sign Franklin-Myers, who will become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday,” reported Chris Tomasson. “The source said there have been no contract discussions about the Broncos bringing him back.”

Tomasson suggested that Franklin-Myers could receive a deal worth around $15 million annually. And if that’s the case, it’s easy to see why Denver, a team with other needs to address this offseason, is likely to move on from Franklin-Myers.

The good news for the Broncos, though, is that if Franklin-Myers signs a big deal with another team, Denver could receive a third-round or fourth-round compensatory pick.

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