Jonah Elliss

Career StatsC-

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		30	66	7.5	—
2025		13	28	2.5	0
2024		17	38	5.0	0

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Spotrac flags Jonah Elliss's contract as a market-rate deal; FanVerdicts grades it C Contract Value Index because the production-to-pay ratio shakes out accordingly. At $1.47M AAV on a four-year rookie scale deal, Elliss is getting paid appropriately for a third-round pick in his second NFL season, but his 2025 performance—28 tackles and 2.5 sacks across 13 games—represents a notable step backward from his rookie foundation and falls short of the impact trajectory you'd want from an edge rusher at this stage. The position market for young pass rushers trends toward demonstrable year-two leaps; Elliss's decline in sack production signals either durability concerns or scheme/usage issues that muddy his long-term value proposition. At 23 years old with two seasons in the books, he's in the critical phase where second-year regressions often define a player's true ceiling, and the concerning media narrative—including explicit suggestions that a "change of scenery" would benefit him—indicates organizational skepticism that extends beyond the stat sheet. The CVI grade reflects the reality that his current compensation aligns with his current output, but without a sharp rebound in 2026, this deal could quickly tip from market-rate to an albatross, especially given the recurring injury flags that question his durability in a position group where availability is non-negotiable.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

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

Performance Analysis

Snap share and per-play impact line up to a C- performance grade for Jonah Elliss. The 23-year-old second-year edge rusher is operating in the below-average tier among position peers, a troubling regression from the promise he flashed in his rookie season. His 2.5 sacks across 13 games in the 2025 season represents the primary performance liability—a sharp drop from his 7.5 sacks in limited rookie action, signaling either reduced opportunity, diminished effectiveness, or both. The 28 tackles in 13 games offer modest run-defense volume, but without additional context on snap distribution or quality of assignment, they don't meaningfully offset the pass-rush decline. The durability concern is real: Week 6 injury absences hint at recurring availability questions that plague young edge rushers and undermine the consistency needed to build on his foundation. His standing entering the 2026 offseason is decidedly precarious—media narratives are openly questioning whether Denver remains the right organizational fit, a damning signal that goes beyond the stat sheet and into interpersonal or scheme-alignment territory that C- performance grades alone don't capture.

How Jonah Compares at the Position

Jonah Elliss ranks 194th of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Jonah between Marist Liufau (C-) just ahead and D'marco Jackson (C-) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Jonah Elliss enters 2026 carrying a D+ sentiment grade that reflects the precarious position of a young pass rusher caught between promise and concern. While his rookie foundation of 7.5 sacks in limited action demonstrates legitimate talent, the media narrative has taken some troubling turns that undermine confidence in his trajectory. Most notably, prominent coverage has explicitly suggested the Broncos should provide Elliss a "change of scenery," a damning indictment that signals either organizational fit issues or performance concerns beyond the stat sheet. Compounding matters are recurring injury absences that raise legitimate durability questions for a position group where availability is paramount. The positive human-interest coverage surrounding his playoff matchup against brother Christian generated warm headlines but couldn't meaningfully offset the underlying skepticism about his long-term prospects in Denver. This creates an uncomfortable middle ground where Elliss is viewed as a talented young player whose future remains clouded by organizational uncertainty and health concerns.