Broncos Plan To Retain G Ben Powers; DL John Franklin-Myers Expected To Depart

Denver, CO — The Broncos’ offensive line will return intact in 2026, while the defensive front is poised for a significant change. According to multiple team and league sources, Denver intends to keep left guard Ben Powers on the roster at his full $11.99 million base salary, effectively ending weeks of speculation that the veteran could be traded or asked to take a pay reduction. Conversely, starting defensive end John Franklin-Myers is expected to hit the open market Monday, with no substantive contract discussions taking place between his camp and the Broncos this offseason.

Powers, 29, has started every game he’s been healthy for since signing a four-year, $52 million deal in March 2023, the first major acquisition of the club’s current offensive-line rebuild. Despite missing nine games last season with a biceps injury, he finished 2024 as the league’s highest-graded interior lineman in run-block win rate, according to Pro Football Focus. Retaining him gives Denver five starting blockers each carrying cap hits of at least $12 million: left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Powers, center Luke Wattenberg, right guard Quinn Meinerz and right tackle Mike McGlinchey. That quintet paced the NFL in PFF’s cumulative offensive-line rankings last season.

The decision also locks in the league’s most expensive O-line for a pivotal gap year. Quarterback Bo Nix remains on his rookie contract and cannot sign an extension until 2027, affording the front office a rare window to load the roster around an inexpensive quarterback before a second-wave cap crunch arrives. Powers, whose 2026 cap number sits at $18.16 million, is the only starting lineman currently unsigned beyond this season.

While the interior is staying put, the edge of Denver’s defense is bracing for departure. Franklin-Myers, acquired from the Jets in a 2024 draft-weekend salary dump, has recorded 14.5 sacks over two seasons as a full-time 3-4 defensive end and helped anchor top-three scoring defenses in each campaign. The 29-year-old is ranked sixth on Pro Football Rumors’ Top 50 Free Agents list and is regarded as the premier interior pass-rusher available when the negotiating window opens. He is seeking a three- or four-year deal after playing out the remainder of a four-year, $55 million pact originally signed with New York.

No talks have materialized between Franklin-Myers and the Broncos, sources told the Denver Gazette, confirming a mutual expectation that he will explore the market. His exit would leave a starting vacancy along the defensive line and approximately $10 million in 2026 cap space to reallocate elsewhere on the roster.

Denver’s choice to keep Powers at full freight underscores the organization’s commitment to protecting Nix and maintaining continuity up front. Whether that stability translates into postseason success may hinge, in part, on how effectively the club can replace Franklin-Myers’ production on the other side of the ball.