The Denver Broncos have an ownership group with no limits when it comes to money. The Penner-Walton family is one of the richest families in the world.
In Gen Z terms, they’re willing to drop the bag at a moment’s notice to keep their stars. They’ve shown that over and over the last 3 years.
All of that wealth doesn’t get them out of sticking to the NFL’s salary cap, and the Broncos are dragging their feet when it comes to a contract extension with arguably the most underrated player on their defense — cornerback Riley Moss.
Moss has been the full-time starter opposite NFL All-Pro Patrick Surtain II for the last 2 seasons and started all 17 games in 2025. That didn’t stop the Broncos from using their 2025 1st round pick (No. 20 overall) on cornerback Jahdae Barron.
In all likelihood, the Broncos are holding off on paying Moss until they see how Barron fares to start this season. As a rookie, he was unable to beat out Moss or starting nickel cornerback and former undrafted free agent Ja’Quan McMillian for playing time.
“The Broncos have a list of starters poised for unrestricted free agency after the 2026 season: tight end Evan Engram, guard Ben Powers, safety Brandon Jones, cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote on June 24. “But Moss has played 1,924 snaps over the past two seasons, more than any other Denver player in that timeframe, and he has held off 2025 first-rounder Jahdae Barron thus far. Barron will be the expected solution if the Broncos don’t keep both McMillian and Moss moving forward. The Broncos have publicly expressed the importance of having both in their defense, but there hasn’t been much movement for extensions. Denver … has decisions to make with three secondary starters in the nickel package (Moss, Jones and McMillian).”
Riley Moss Projected for 3-Year, $55M Extension
The Broncos are already doing what the best NFL teams do — signing their proven starters to contract extensions before they hit the open market. This saves them a tremendous amount of money.
In May, the DNVR Denver Broncos Podcast predicted Moss is in line for a 3-year, $55 million extension, although the Broncos might be smart to start with something more along the lines of offering a 3-year, $45 million extension.
From DNVR: “For Riley, the projection is 3 years, $55 million … that’s probably about the ceiling right now. He’s certainly not getting $20 million per year. Even $18 million is a little too close to that, so we’re erring on the high side. If these guys hit the open market next year, they’re getting this kind of money. You do get a little bit of a discount when you sign them early, so there’s no reason it wouldn’t happen here.”
Riley Moss Already Scored Big Offseason Payday
Moss was one of the NFL’s top earners in the league’s annual performance-based incentives program following the 2025 season. It’s the bonus system the league uses to pay players with low salaries who play high snap counts.
Moss scored a $1.136 million bonus after starting all 17 games in 2025. It ranked Moss No. 12 among all NFL players who received bonuses, with Chicago Bears cornerback Nahson Wright coming in 1st with a $1.441 million bonus.
In 2024, Moss started 14 games after missing 3 games due to injury, and in each of his 2 seasons as a full-time starter, the Broncos have made the playoffs.
Broncos Dragging Feet on Contract Extension for 17-Game Starter