Ron Leary’s time with the Broncos appears to be coming to an end.
On Tuesday, Denver general manager John Elway told media members at the NFL combine in Indianapolis that the team won’t pick up Leary’s contract option for the 2020 season. That means the 30-year-old guard is set to become a free agent next month.
Leary will have a “dead money” salary cap hit of just $875,000 and the Broncos will save around $8,437,500, according to OverTheCap.com.
Leary (6-3, 320 pounds) signed a four-year, $36 million deal with Denver in 2017. He has struggled to stay healthy, missing 19 games — the equivalent of a full season plus three games — over the last three years.
After moving on from Leary, the Broncos appear poised to bring in a starting-caliber guard this offseason. Dalton Risner will start on one side — Denver will now need a replacement for Leary on the other side.
The new league year — and NFL free agency — will begin on March 18.
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