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Broncos OLB Dondrea Tillman Signing New Contract

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 07: Linebacker Dondrea Tillman 92 of the Denver Broncos during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on September 07, 2025. Kevin Langley / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

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Broncos OLB Dondrea Tillman Signing New Contract

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Apr 20, 2026 1:36 PM ET

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Denver Broncos rush linebacker Dondrea Tillman is expected to sign his exclusive rights free-agent tender on Monday. The tender will pay him $1.075 million in 2026.

"Do-it-all OLB Dondrea Tillman is signing his one-year exclusive rights tender with [the] Broncos today per source," 9NEWS' Mike Klis posted on X.

Tillman's Path to Denver

Tillman joined the Broncos as a college free agent, technically speaking, in 2024. However, he originally went undrafted out of Division II's Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in 2022.

With no NFL takers initially, Tillman took his talents to the UFL in 2022, where he played the next two seasons for the Birmingham Stallions. He acquitted himself well, and landed squarely on Denver's radar.

After finally cracking into the NFL, Tillman had to win a roster spot in 2024, but he'd be competing with the likes of a third-round draft pick, Jonah Elliss, and others. Although Tillman didn't make the initial 53-man roster out of training camp, he was immediately re-signed to the practice squad.

Great First Impression

Tillman made his Broncos debut in Week 3 that year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He christened his first NFL game with a pair of sacks. How's that for making a first impression?

Tillman would go on to post five sacks as a rookie in 2024, endearing himself to the locker room and the coaching staff. The Broncos signed him to an ERFA tender in early 2025.

It was a no-brainer move, as he and Elliss combined for 10 sacks in 2024 behind starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, both of whom eclipsed double-digit sacks themselves. The Broncos have led the league in sacks in back-to-back years, and Tillman has contributed to that feat.

Interception Co-Leader

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In 2025, Tillman's sack numbers dropped to four, but he made up for it by nearly doubling his tackle total (to 41) and co-leading the team in interceptions, one of which he returned for 23 yards and the other for 36. He looked like a big tight end out there rumbling down the field with the ball and making guys miss.

Before the 2025 season started, Broncos head coach Sean Payton praised Tillman, and pointed to how much the playing time he garnered in the previous season served his development as an NFL-caliber edge defender.

“It’s just getting those live snaps. He has good decision-making, keen to diagnose," Payton said of Tillman. "He’s smart. There’s a growth period that every one of these guys has to the system and what we’re doing. Some of it is exponential or faster than others. Some of it takes a little while. He’s picked things up.”

Outlook

At 27, Tillman is a bit older for a third-year player, but remember, he didn't have the traditional straight-out-of-college path to the NFL. He had to take the long way, but everything happens for a reason, and he's quickly distinguished himself as a bona fide NFL pass rusher and a true defensive playmaker.

The Broncos are fortunate to have Tillman. It's also a credit to the developmental prowess of Payton's coaching staff.

With the Broncos planning to give Elliss snaps at inside linebacker this summer, Tillman will be relied upon even more to be the third rush linebacker onto the field behind Bonitto and Cooper. Expect to see more of 2025 fourth-round pick Que Robinson as well.

This article first appeared on Denver Broncos on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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