NEWSLETTER
The Denver Broncos inked pass rusher Frank Clark to a one-year deal back in June, and his days in Denver are already coming to an end.
A report by Mike Garofolo says that Clark has already taken a pay-cut from the Broncos. The move takes his $3.5 million base salary down to the minimum the rest of the way $841k. Clark gave back $1.679 million in base pay as part of the restructure.
Frank Clark’s contract restructure makes way for a trade or release
The restructure paves the way for a trade, that seems to be imminent. Clark will not play in the Broncos Thursday night contest with the Kansas City Chiefs tonight, and whether its via a trade of an outright release, Clark likely won’t suit up for Denver again.
Denver signed Clark during the offseason with the intention of bolstering their defense with a quality rusher. However, after trading Randy Gregory, another notable offseason signing, to San Francisco, Denver may be open to trading Clark as well. The good news is that the issue of Clark’s salary, which used to be a hindrance, is no longer a concern and could facilitate a deal.
Clark is a three-time Pro Bowler who played for the Chiefs for four years before joining his current team. During his time with the Chiefs, he recorded 23.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, an interception, 59 quarterback hits and 32 tackles for loss. He also recorded more than 50 pressures in each of the last two seasons.
Clark started 55 regular-season games for the Chiefs and all 12 of their postseason games since 2019. He had five sacks in the 2019 championship run and 2.5 sacks in the 2022 championship run. Clark’s postseason career includes 13.5 sacks, which is the highest among active players and the third highest in NFL history.
Clark was a second-round pick in 2015 and played four years of his career with Seattle before joining the Chiefs.
One team that could use Clark’s services is the Chicago Bears. The Bears signed Yannick Ngakoue this summer, but the pass rush has still been one of the worst in the NFL. Despite a 1-4 start, the Bears still appear determined to try to win games this season, which makes sense, considering the current coaching staff will likely be out the door after the season if they don’t.
A Broncos fire sale seems likely at this point
The Broncos are 1-4 and on the verge of a full-blown fire sale in the coming weeks ahead of the October 31 NFL trade deadline. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Broncos are also willing to listen to offers on wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
There has been talk of trading both Sutton and Jeudy since the offseason, and as the NFL trade deadline on October 31 approaches, the rumors could become more intense. To add to the uncertainty, the Broncos are facing a tough stretch with games against the Chiefs in Weeks 6 and 8, and a matchup against the Packers in between.
Denver also faces the Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 9 after their bye week. Their roster could look much different if they drop two games to the Chiefs in the next three weeks. Denver could be 1-7 or 2-6 on October 30, with 24 hours until the deadline. At that point, the desire to have a full-on fire sale and allow new head coach Sean Payton to completely rebuild the roster would be the most prudent path to success.
The Broncos will be a team to keep an eye on over the next three weeks before the trade deadline on Halloween.
