Garrett Nelson

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Above-replacement production at the DE salary tier earns Garrett Nelson a B- Contract Value Index. At $885K annually, Nelson is operating at a near-minimum cost structure — the kind of developmental flier that carries minimal salary risk regardless of on-field outcome. His 2025 season production tells the story: 5 tackles across 2 games before being shelved entirely, a replacement-level output that barely registered on Denver's depth chart. As a second-year player at 26, Nelson sits squarely in the prove-it window, but the Broncos' decision to waive him in favor of 13 college free agents during their offseason overhaul signals that the organization sees limited upside in his current trajectory. The CVI grades favorably here not because Nelson is a building block — he isn't — but because the contract itself imposes zero cap burden and leaves Denver maximum roster flexibility. His path forward hinges entirely on training camp and preseason performance; unless he makes a tangible impression before the regular season, his tenure will remain a footnote in Denver's 2026 roster construction narrative.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Garrett's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

On tape and on the stat sheet, Garrett Nelson earns a C- performance grade among DE peers. The second-year edge rusher's 2025 season production was negligible—just 5 tackles across 2 games before being moved off the active roster entirely—placing him firmly in the below-average tier for a position that demands consistent impact on the snap. The lack of sack totals, pressures, or splash plays in such limited action reflects the core weakness: Nelson has yet to translate his physical tools into consistent disruptive play at the professional level. With only two games of meaningful reps and no statistical accolades to build on, Nelson's durability question is actually secondary to his production problem; the real issue is that when given opportunities, he hasn't flashed the consistency or instinct needed to hold a roster spot on a 14-3 AFC West leader. As a second-year player still fighting for establishment in an NFL role, Nelson is exactly the type of developmental edge rusher that organizations cycle through by the dozen—which is precisely what the Broncos signaled by cutting him in favor of 13 college free agents and then signing him to the practice squad as a reclamation project. Unless he makes a dramatic impression during training camp and preseason, Nelson enters 2026 as a long shot with minimal margin for error and no proven production to anchor his NFL future.

How Garrett Compares at the Position

Garrett Nelson ranks 79th of 147 graded defensive ends by performance. That slots Garrett between Anthony Goodlow (C) just ahead and Kingsley Enagbare (C-) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Garrett Nelson's public profile with the Denver Broncos never registered above a whisper, and the sentiment surrounding his tenure reflects exactly that — an F-grade narrative defined by near-total invisibility rather than controversy or disappointment. The media framing was relentlessly clinical: outlets treated his signing, practice squad assignment, and eventual release as routine roster maintenance, the kind of low-risk futures contract that organizations cycle through dozens of times each offseason without a second thought. That framing aligns perfectly with his on-field output — a D+ performance grade for a fringe edge rusher who logged just 5 tackles across 2 games in the 2025 season before being moved off the active roster entirely and never returning. The headlines themselves tell the arc in five bullet points — signed to a futures deal, added to the practice squad, briefly attached to a reserve/future contract, then released — with no meaningful fan reaction at any stage, which is perhaps the most damning verdict of all. With Denver operating as a 14-3 AFC powerhouse and making aggressive moves at other positions, including a significant first-round pick trade and a string of fresh signings at skill positions and in the secondary, Nelson's departure barely created a ripple in a building clearly focused on bigger questions. The narrative here isn't a cautionary tale or a storyline fans are tracking — it's the absence of a storyline altogether, a developmental lottery ticket that went unscratched and was quietly discarded.