Here are the players the Broncos can’t cut due to their contracts

John Elway has over $60 million to spend this offseason to build a playoff team in Denver. In fact, with just a few moves, Elway can easily have over $80 million by saying goodbye to select players that are currently under contract for the 2020 season.

However, there are a few players that have no chance of leaving town thanks to their contracts. Here’s who will certainly be in orange and blue in September.

Von Miller

Cap hit in 2020: $25.625 million

Dead cap: $17.85 million

Change to cap if cut: $7.775 million savings

Were Von Miller’s eight sacks in 2019 disappointing? Certainly. But he’s not going anywhere. Heck, if the Broncos wanted to get out of Miller’s extraordinarily high $25 million cap hit, they have a team option to do so, but Elway already stated that’ll be picked up. And once it is officially picked up, the dead cap will be way too much to move on from the Pro Bowl player.

Next year, however, is a different story as Von’s dead-cap figure is only $4.225 million.

Kareem Jackson

Cap hit in 2020: $14 million

Dead cap: $17 million

Change to cap if cut: $3 million loss

Kareem Jackson was arguably Denver’s best defensive player his first year in Denver. Although his season ended disappointingly with a two-game suspension, the hard-hitting safety won’t be going anywhere but back on the field in 0range and blue next year.

Even if his dead cap was $1, he’d still be a Bronco in 2020. That shows how much of a lock he is to be on the team next year, even with a $14 million cap hit. Jackson will have to prove himself again this upcoming season, however, as he only has $3 million in dead money for 2021.

Ja’Wuan James

Cap hit in 2020: $13 million

Dead cap: $19 million

Change to cap if cut: $6 million loss

In his first season in Denver in 2019, Ja’Wuan James made a whopping $269,841.27 per snap. In just one snap, James made over four times the average American household income.

Yet despite only playing 63 snaps throughout the entire season — compared to the team’s 1,016 total offensive snaps — James will unquestionably be back in Denver for a second season.

Elway and the Broncos had extremely high expectations for James when they made him the highest-paid right tackle in the history of the NFL at the time. But injuries derailed his season.

Even if it weren’t for the money, the Broncos want to make James work. But especially with the exorbitant amount of dead money, they are handcuffed to hoping he works out in 2020. If he does not, they will be able to get out of the final two years of his contract for only $6 million in dead money next offseason.

Andy Janovich

Cap hit in 2020: $1.58 million

Dead cap: $2.16 million

Change to cap if cut: $580,000 loss

Rich Scangarello’s presence was essentially a guaranteed job for Jano in Denver. But with Scangarello out after just one year, many have questioned if the fullback has a place on the Broncos’ roster moving forward.

His new contract, which was just signed on Oct. 11, guarantees him that spot regardless if new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has a role for him or not.

Worst case, Jano will be the all-world special teamer he is for 2020 and the team can easily move on from him next offseason when he only has $675,000 in dead money. The progress and presence of second-year tight end Andrew Beck will also play a role in a 2021 decision; Beck proved last year that he could handle fullback in a pinch.