As the 2024 season approached, the Denver Broncos had several players eligible for extensions, both of whom were certainly worthy of them. Two of them, right guard Quinn Meinerz and cornerback Patrick Surtain II, got extensions before the season started.
Another player, left tackle Garett Bolles, enters the last year of his deal and has improved from a slow start to the point it's fair to ask whether he should be extended. The same can be said of rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who is showing his breakout 2023 season was no fluke and continues to play at a high level.
More recently, another player has emerged as a candidate the Broncos might want to consider extending — one who wasn't viewed that way going into the season.
Inside linebacker Justin Strnad, re-signed to a one-year deal during the offseason to compete for a depth job, has taken on a bigger role since starter Alex Singleton suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Strnad has been very good since he entered a starting role.
A 2020 Broncos fifth-round pick, there had been hopes that Strnad might develop into a quality starter, but he suffered a wrist injury during his rookie preseason. He saw his first NFL action in 2021 and started five games but struggled.
From there, the Broncos retained Strnad for depth and special teams after showing in 2023 that he could contribute much in the third phase. He was reportedly close to signing with the Carolina Panthers this past offseason, but decided to return to the Broncos on a one-year deal. The expectation was that he would again compete for a depth position and special teams.
But when Singleton got injured, Strnad stepped up in a big way. He already has three sacks to his credit and has proven to be a good tackler who, while not elite, can do good things in coverage.
Strnad signed for the veteran minimum and is playing well above that — to the point that he may be another candidate for an extension after the season.
With Strnad, though, it's possible he could be treated the same as Singleton. If you'll recall, Singleton was a bright spot during the 2022 season, but was on a one-year deal and allowed to test the market.
Singleton ultimately re-signed with the Broncos on a three-year, $18 million deal. After having played well on a one-year deal for a little more than $1M in 2022, the Broncos rewarded him with a multi-year deal that included $9M guaranteed.
The way Strnad has played the last four games, he could be in line for a similar payday. Again, it's likely he will be allowed to test the market first, but there's an outside chance the Broncos could get a deal done before free agency.
Because player salaries are rising, Strnad would likely get more than Singleton, but a three-year, $21M deal would be reasonable. It would still be a reasonable deal and easy to fit under the cap.
Bottom Line
Time will tell how well Strnad continues to perform this season but, if he keeps playing well, it's all the better for the Broncos to keep him. With Cody Barton on a one-year deal, it would help to keep Strnad around to pair with Singleton in 2025.
Strnad has come a long way since he joined the Broncos in 2020. Now it may be the time for the Broncos to reward him.
