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The Denver Broncos have a quiet contract storyline brewing around wide receiver/return specialist Marvin Mims Jr., one tied to the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator (PPE), a fourth-year rookie-contract mechanism for non-first-round picks.
Mims was Denver’s No. 63 overall pick (Round 2) in the 2023 NFL Draft, and his four-year rookie deal runs through the 2026 season.
Over the Cap’s PPE projections currently list Mims as “Level Three” — the top PPE tier — which is tied to being selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot within a player’s first three seasons.
Why Mims is tracking toward Level Three PPE
Mims was named a starter for the AFC in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games as a return specialist. He was again selected to the Pro Bowl and named a starter for the AFC in the 2025 Pro Bowl Games. That matters because the PPE’s Level Three trigger is Pro Bowl selection on the original ballot (not as an alternate).
What the money could look like in 2026
On Over the Cap’s contract cash-flow table, Mims is currently scheduled for $1,577,541 in cash due in 2026 (his fourth NFL season).
If Level Three PPE applies, OTC explains the escalator is pegged to the 2nd-round restricted free agent tender amount for that season, while NFL contract language notes the adjustment accounts for signing-bonus proration in the calculation.
OTC’s tender projections list the 2026 projected 2nd-round RFA tender at $5,658,000, which shows why this story can turn into a multi-million-dollar headline.
The important detail is that PPE doesn’t just “add a bonus.” Under the CBA language (as published in Over the Cap’s CBA section), the Level Three PPE increases a qualifying player’s Year 4 Paragraph 5 salary by the difference between the second-round restricted free agent qualifying offer and the player’s Year 4 “Rookie Salary” (excluding signing bonus and amounts treated as signing bonus). In other words, the tender figure is the benchmark, but the exact escalator amount depends on how the player’s fourth-year compensation is structured.
Over the Cap currently lists Mims at $1,577,541 cash due in 2026, and its tender table projects the 2026 second-round RFA tender at $5,658,000. That’s a gap of about $4,080,459 between those two numbers — a quick way to understand why a “quiet” escalator can turn into a real cap-planning storyline.
What Marvin Mims has Provided to the Broncos this Season
In Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Mims scored on a 48-yard punt return touchdown, the biggest play he’s had in the return game this season.
“It’s been embedded in me: the quickest way to improve a team is the kicking game and get the offensive line squared away,” Sean Payton said of Mims’ impact earlier this season in comments recorded by DenverBroncos.com. “We didn’t have a returner. I remember when we were watching his film, we knew he was a captain at Oklahoma. We knew he was an accomplished receiver, but he was also, we felt, one of the better returners, if not the best returner, in the draft. When you check those vision boxes, the way we were able to with him, then I would say he’s exceeded our expectation as to what type of guy he is, how he works, what kind of teammate he is.”
After that game, the Broncos announced Mims was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 14.
Payton has also publicly said the Broncos have to “find more touches” for Mims on offense.
Mims on the season has been a stalwart in the return game, returning 24 punts for 394 yards and a touchdown, while taking 22 kickoffs for 589 yards. He also has 29 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown, proving he’s a multi-dimensional threat for the Broncos.
Bottom line: Based on the CBA’s original-ballot Pro Bowl trigger and OTC’s current projections, Mims is one of the clearer “PPE pay raise” candidates heading into 2026, a contract wrinkle that can sneak up on casual cap watchers. Of course, this could all be moot if or when the Broncos offer Mims a contract extension.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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