Broncos $15 million pending free agent predicted to leave Denver for Bears
Broncos $15 million pending free agent predicted to leave Denver for Bears originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Denver Broncos' 2025 season is officially over after a disappointing loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Now, the Broncos will turn their attention to the offseason, and one of the first orders of business is deciding what to do with their pending free agents.
One of the most important pending free agents is defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, who has been sensational for Denver the past two seasons.
Myers has tallied a whopping 14.5 sacks in that span and has been an asset against the run. As a result, JFM should get plenty of interest and will do well in free agency.
But will he return to the Broncos?
Bleacher Report's Alex Kay doesn't think so and instead predicts the veteran will leave Denver and sign with the Chicago Bears in free agency.
At 6'4", 288 pounds, he can line up at both the defensive end and defensive tackle spots. That versatility, coupled with an unstoppable motor, allows him to thrive in whatever role he's tasked with on a game-to-game or even play-by-play basis.
Although the 29-year-old isn't the youngest free agent, he still has plenty of tread left on his tires and shouldn't have any issues continuing to contribute at a high level for the duration of the type of long-term deal he's expected to sign this offseason.
The Broncos will surely want to keep the veteran around, but even Franklin-Myers isn't sure how things will play out.
"I’m happy to be here and I was happy to play football for the Broncos this year," Franklin-Myers said. "We’ll see what happens.”
Franklin-Myers makes sense for a Bears team that needs more juice in the pass-rush. Chicago finished with 35 sacks in 2025, tied for the seventh-fewest in the league. Chicago also struggled against the run, finishing 27th in that area.
In Franklin-Myers, the Bears would have a versatile pass-rusher who can line up inside and out, which gives defensive coordinator Dennis Allen multiple ways to deploy him. Franklin-Myers is also no slouch against the run.
Spotrac projects JFM to receive a two-year, $15.7 million contract in free agency. We tend to believe he'll get a bit more because of his sack totals the past two seasons, although his age (30 in September) will limited his contract upside.
The Bears will have some moves to make to get cap compliant, as the team is sitting at $17.3 million over the cap going into the offseason.
But with adding more help to the pass-rush being a majority priority, the Bears will find a way to make it work if they truly want the veteran.
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