Pro Football Rumors
Patrick Surtain will continue to serve as the anchor of Denver’s secondary in 2026 and for years to come. Fellow cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian has begun extension talks with the Broncos.
That leaves Riley Moss in an interesting position. The coming season will be the final one of his rookie contract, and it remains to be seen if Denver will make a long-term commitment in this case. Surtain is already attached to a massive contract of his own, and McMillian could land one shortly. 2025 first-rounder Jahdae Barron is also in the mix, and he is a candidate to take on a perimeter CB role.
How the depth chart shakes out during training camp this summer will make for a notable Broncos storyline. In any case, Moss’ performance in 2026 will be critical. The 26-year-old has operated as a full-time starter for the past two years, but his latest comments on the matter of a potential extension suggest he does not anticipate one in the near future.
“To be honest, no. It’ll handle itself out like it always has,” Moss said (via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post) when asked if his contract status is on his mind ahead of camp. “I trust in God, and I trust in myself, and I’m just going to go out, do my thing, continue to do my thing, and the rest will take care of itself.”
Affording Surtain’s $24MM-per-year deal (which included a recent bump in guaranteed pay) along with a McMillian extension will offer financial challenges for the Broncos given their other defensive investments. Barron, meanwhile, will remain under team control through 2029 if his fifth-year option is picked up. Should Denver elect to proceed with that trio beyond 2026, Moss will likely find himself on the move via free agency next spring.
Upon being drafted in the third round in 2023, Moss occupied a special teams role during his rookie campaign. The Iowa product then saw a major spike in playing time, though, and in 2025 he logged nearly 1,100 defensive snaps. Moss has recorded just one interception in each of his two years as a starter, but he has amassed 27 pass deflections over that span while serving as an effective No. 2 boundary option opposite Surtain. Expectations will likely be high in his case for the coming season, although Moss’ future will remain uncertain if he does not find himself on the Broncos’ list of extension targets.
