Breaking Down Broncos' ILB Cash Commitments in 2025

• 2025 cap hit: $6.913M
• 2025 cash commitment: $6M

Singleton enters the final year of the three-year deal he signed back in 2023. He was one of the bright spots of the 2022 season while playing on a one-year deal and got rewarded with a three-year contract for more money.

Singleton missed most of 2024 because of a torn ACL but is expected to be ready for training camp. While he has no guaranteed money left in his deal, it's not a given he'll be cut after training camp, unless he doesn't perform well and others do so at a high level.

But while Singleton sticking around for 2025 is the most likely scenario, the Broncos might let him depart in free agency after the season. That's because they are expecting other, younger players to take a step forward in 2025.

Drew Sanders

• 2025 cap hit: $1.56M
• 2025 cash commitment: $1.271M

A former third-round pick, Sanders missed most of 2024 because of injuries, but the hope is that he will contribute at off-ball linebacker this season.

If Sanders proves himself this year, he would likely be penciled into the starting lineup for 2026, and it would be a contract year, meaning he would have a chance to show he's worthy of an extension.

Given that Sanders hasn't played many snaps the past two seasons, he might not reach proven performance escalators for 2026. Still, much will be expected from him in 2025, because the hope would be that he can be a starter by next season.

Justin Strnad

• 2025 cap hit: $2.787M
• 2025 cash commitment: $2.78M

Strnad entered the starting lineup in 2024 after Singleton was lost to injury. Strnad did some good things, but he was limited as a starter.

But Strnad showed enough for the Broncos to give him a new one-year deal with every penny fully guaranteed. He still got paid as a depth player, though, and that's where he holds value, along with his special teams play.

Strnad could stick around in future seasons as a depth and special teams player, though the Broncos will certainly hope that Sanders proves himself to be a starter in 2026.

What it Means

The Broncos' total cap commitment for the top four linebackers on the roster comes to a little more than $17M, while the total cash commitment comes to a little more than $21.5M. That's a reasonable amount of resources to devote to the position.

The question for 2026 will be whether Sanders is ready to start and what the depth looks like. If Sanders starts, the Broncos would be in a position to commit fewer resources to the linebacker corps.

If Sanders doesn't show he's a worthy starter, though, the Broncos will have to decide whether they need to go into free agency again to find another starting linebacker, or whether they would prefer to go to the draft.

Assuming Sanders does start in 2026, he probably wouldn't get extended before the season. Chances are the Broncos would let things play out in 2026, then decide what he's worth in an extension.

They will also need to develop depth and, eventually, another starter once Greenlaw's deal either expires or the Broncos decide to move on. Thus, even if Sanders proves himself in 2025, the Broncos might still draft a linebacker in 2026.

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The one thing to know is that the Broncos have kept their cap and cash commitments to linebacker at reasonable amounts and, if Sanders proves himself, that should stay that way. But if things don't work out with Sanders, it will be interesting to see how the Broncos respond, particularly with how many resources they devote to the position.