Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady is willing to rework his current contract to stay in Denver, according to Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press. Clady, who has spent his entire career in the Mile High City, was one of the most durable players in the league–and also one of the best–before landing on IR in September 2013 with a season-ending Lisfranc injury. He played the entire 2014 campaign but he tore his ACL during OTAs in May 2015 and has missed the entire 2015 season. The Broncos will have appeared in two of the last three Super Bowls, and Clady will have missed both.
In July 2013, the two-time First-Team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler signed a five-year, $52.5MM contract with the Broncos, and he has seen action in only two games of the subsequent three seasons. He is on the books for a $9.5MM base salary in 2016, which does not include any guarantees, which makes him a prime candidate for a pay cut or restructure. Clady will be just 30 when the 2016 season begins, so he may certainly have a couple more quality seasons left in him, assuming he can overcome his recent spate of injuries.
Given that the Broncos will likely go into 2016 with a young signal-caller, Clady’s presence could be invaluable for the club moving forward. Now that he has publicly declared his willingness to rework his present deal, the Broncos should be in a better position to address some of its top priorities this offseason, including a new contract for Von Miller.
Clady did say that the Broncos have not yet approached him about his contract status, but he expects the team to do so after the season. Said Clady, “I’m definitely willing to talk. I definitely would like to be a lifetime Bronco.” Clady is currently the longest-tenured member of the club.