Brandon Marshall Contract Option Not Picked Up by Broncos; LB Will Be Free Agent

The Denver Broncos are not expected to pick up Brandon Marshall's option, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, clearing the way for the linebacker to become a free agent March 13.

Marshall was scheduled to have a base salary of $6.5 million in 2019, per Spotrac.

The Las Vegas native signed a four-year, $32.5 million extension to remain in Denver through the 2020 season. At that point, the Broncos were coming off a Super Bowl championship, with Marshall right in the middle of a dominant defense.

However, his production has dipped in recent years.

A fifth-round pick out of Nevada by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012, Marshall recorded just 42 total tackles in 2018, failing to record a sack, a forced fumble or an interception. A knee injury sidelined him for five games this past season. That marked the second time in three seasons he appeared in just 11 games.

Marshall told Brandon Krisztal of Orange and Blue 760 in January that he would "absolutely" restructure his contract if approached by the team because he wanted to remain in Denver. However, the 29-year-old acknowledged to the Denver Post's Kyle Fredrickson at the end of the regular season that he understands his time in a Broncos uniform may be over.

"I'd welcome [a return], absolutely," said Marshall, who signed with the team as a free agent in 2013. "But it's up to (the Broncos' front office). There would have to be some financials worked out, and the situation would have to be perfect and good for me. Because I still feel like I've got a lot left. I've still got some in the tank. We’ll see who believes in me the most."

It appears as though the Broncos have made their decision and are ready to move on.