One injured player separated Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton from a Super Bowl appearance this past season. Quarterback Bo Nix’s ankle injury is widely seen as the one thing that kept Denver from Super Bowl 60. Backup Jarrett Stidham couldn’t conquer the New England Patriots in the snowy AFC Championship, leaving Payton and company more motivated than ever to return with vengeance.
How aggressive will they be this offseason?
David Montgomery, A.J. Brown Seen As Prime Targets for Broncos
The Broncos have plenty of reason to be aggressive this offseason. With strong motivation to make a Super Bowl run and more than $24 million in cap space, there’s no reason for them to sit on their hands. They were aggressive last offseason on defense, and this season, it’s the offense’s turn.
“Sean Payton will trade for both David Montgomery and A.J. Brown,” Conor Orr wrote in his bold prediction piece for Sports Illustrated. “Continuing last season’s aggressive free-agency push to bolster the defense, Payton, spurred by his near miss at reaching Super Bowl LX, will spend multiple picks between the second and fourth rounds to bring in veterans who can keep Denver in the hunt.”
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown are ideal targets to shore up the offense. Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins played out his one-year deal and is set for free agency. He missed half of 2025 due to injury, and the Broncos should look elsewhere to fill the backfield.
Without Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, heading into his second year, is Denver’s only back, with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie having played out their contracts. The need for another high-performance rusher underscores Montgomery as an offseason target.
On the other hand, the Broncos could use more talent in the wide receiver room. Courtland Sutton might be the main man, and Troy Franklin might’ve broken out, but Payton could only benefit from another proven talent.
That said, Eagles wideout Brown (80.9 PFSN’s NFL WR Impact) is the perfect fit. His seven years of league experience, highlighted by six 1,000-yard seasons, would bode well next to Sutton, with Franklin in the slot.
The major factor in acquiring Montgomery and Brown, however, is that they’re both still under contract this season, meaning Denver will have to shell out draft capital and/or other assets to make the trades. However, with Payton and company determined to avenge their fallen 2025 campaign, the future is no object when it comes to building to win now.
