Phillip Lindsay no longer plays for the Denver Broncos and isn’t in the NFL anymore, but now works for the radio station Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan, where he appears alongside Zach Bye on a segment known as “The Drive,” during which both give their analysis and opinions on sports during weekdays. Lindsay feels the Broncos should extend and pay cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian more money at some point. The Denver native also sees similarities between McMillian and a former cornerback who accomplished a lot during his time with the Broncos. Now it’s time to take a deeper dive into all of the reasons why Denver should try to keep McMillian long-term.
Former Broncos RB Thinks Ja’Quan McMillian Deserves Contract Extension
McMillian is One of the Most Effective Secondary Players
McMillian has accomplished being one of eight players to have five interceptions and five forced fumbles, while most of the players to do this are safeties, making McMillian one of two corners to do so in the last three NFL seasons.
Additionally, McMillian has tallied seven sacks over the last three years, and the only other players to be efficient in multiple defensive stats like McMillian are Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton.
Given McMillian’s journey in the NFL, it’s only right for many to question why the Broncos haven’t paid McMillian yet, as he was just as productive as both former first-round draft picks who already got paid as a result of their performances.
He Reminds Phillip Lindsay of Chris Harris Jr.
Lindsay noted that McMillian was an undrafted free agent, as was he, and compared him to former Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who was also an undrafted free agent who signed with Denver out of Kansas in 2011.
“Obviously, you know I have a soft spot for undrafted free agents,” Lindsay said. “When I look at someone like Ja’Quan McMillian, he reminds me of Chris Harris Jr.”
One of the main reasons Lindsay is vouching for the Broncos to pay McMillian is that the stats he has accumulated over the first four seasons of his NFL career are extremely close to the stats that helped Harris earn an extension.
In his first four seasons with the Broncos, Harris played in 63 games and had 252 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 3.5 sacks. McMillian, on the other hand, didn’t have as fast a start to his career, playing only one game as a rookie, but has continued to improve, playing 51 games and recording 195 tackles, seven sacks, and six interceptions.
“But you mean to tell me Ja’Quan McMillian, who’s only getting better every single year, shouldn’t be paid?” Lindsay said.
The Broncos Would Lose One of Their Most Versatile Players
Franchise history has already been made by McMillian, especially with one of his biggest strengths being the ability to create tackles for loss. At the same time, he has the second most tackles for loss by a cornerback in team history, only behind Harris, but ahead of Champ Bailey, Bradley Roby, and Aqib Talib.
Creating turnovers is another great thing to watch when observing a player like McMillian, who is one of four undrafted players in Broncos history with two or more interception return touchdowns, alongside Harris, Nemiah Wilson, and Wymon Henderson.
In fact, last season during Denver’s Week 11 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, McMillian finished the game with two sacks and an interception off Patrick Mahomes, making him the sixth cornerback in NFL history to record at least two sacks and an interception in a single game. McMillian was also the first player to do so since 2023.
Vance Joseph needs to do all he can to convince George Paton, the Broncos front office, and Sean Payton to extend McMillian. If Denver wants to stay at the top of the AFC West and remain a contender, they need McMillian, who can help the defense generate more turnovers.
Rewarding McMillian with the extension he deserves would help the Broncos in the long run, as he could be the player who makes the difference in whether Denver can beat and effectively stop the offenses of other divisional teams that are potential contenders, such as the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Even though McMillian still has a long way to go when it comes to being considered one of the most legendary cornerbacks in team history, if he continues playing like he currently is, he can potentially have a better career than Harris and help the Broncos win a championship, just like Harris did as a member of the No Fly Zone in Denver’s Super Bowl 50 win.
Main Image: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
