The Denver Broncos will pay considerably more against the salary cap for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham than they will for starter Bo Nix in 2026.
Nix carries a $5.076 million cap hit, according to Over the Cap. Stidham checks in at $8 million, nearly $3 million more. And the comparison does not stop with Denver’s quarterback room: Nix has just the 18th-highest cap charge among players on the Broncos’ current active roster.
That unusual pecking order illustrates one of Denver’s biggest advantages as the defending AFC West champions prepare for their September 14 opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bo Nix Costs Broncos Just 1.67% of 2026 Salary Cap
Nix’s contract is a product of his status as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Broncos quarterback signed a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract worth $18.61 million, according to Over the Cap. His 2026 compensation includes a $1.075 million base salary and $1.412 million roster bonus, while prorated signing-bonus money brings his cap charge to $5.076 million.
That represents only 1.67% of the salary cap.
Stidham, meanwhile, is in the second season of the two-year, $12 million contract he signed with Denver in 2025. His deal includes a $5.99 million base salary in 2026 and produces an $8 million cap hit.
So while Nix will lead Sean Payton’s offense, his backup occupies significantly more of Denver’s 2026 cap.
There are plenty of other Broncos ahead of Nix as well.
Mike McGlinchey carries Denver’s largest cap hit at $23.775 million. Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Evan Engram, Courtland Sutton, Talanoa Hufanga and Patrick Surtain II are among the other veterans above Nix on the current cap table.
That makes Nix’s modest number particularly important. Quarterback is generally the position capable of consuming the biggest chunk of a team’s payroll. Denver instead has its starter near the middle of its own roster in 2026 cap cost.
Broncos Can Spend Around Bo Nix
The value of Nix’s contract is less about what he earns than what the Broncos can afford elsewhere while he remains on it.
Denver’s current roster includes significant investments on the offensive line and throughout its defense, including Surtain, Allen, Hufanga and Nik Bonitto. Nix’s rookie deal allows the Broncos to carry those veteran commitments without simultaneously absorbing a veteran-market quarterback contract.
Over the Cap’s own valuation model makes the disparity especially stark. It assigned Nix a 2025 valuation of $36.686 million, more than seven times his actual 2026 cap charge. That figure is OTC’s performance-based valuation rather than an estimate of what Denver currently owes him, but it illustrates the surplus value the Broncos are receiving at quarterback.
And Denver has reason to maximize that window now.
The Broncos open their AFC West title defense on the road against Kansas City on September 14. Denver dethroned the Chiefs in the division last season, ending Kansas City’s nine-year run atop the AFC West. The Week 1 matchup will be the first time the Broncos have opened a season on the road against Kansas City.
Nix’s contract won’t remain this inexpensive forever if he develops into the long-term quarterback Denver expects.
For 2026, though, the contrast is remarkable: the Broncos’ starting quarterback costs less against the cap than 17 of his teammates — including the player paid to back him up.
Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix Is Cheaper Than His Backup in 2026