Broncos general manager John Elway was noncommittal Wednesday when asked if Anderson would return to Denver in 2018, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post reports. "I'm not saying [Anderson will] be back for sure, but I'm not going to say [he's] gone," Elway said.
Anderson was one of the few bright spots for the 4-12 Broncos last season, finishing with a career-best 1,007 rushing yards and recording four touchdowns over 16 games. Despite Anderson's improved health and quality production, the Denver offense was still a disaster due to poor play at quarterback, a position the team plans to upgrade this offseason, likely through free agency. In order to free up the money necessary to make a serious run at one of the top quarterbacks on the market, the Broncos may opt to release Anderson, who carries cap hits of $4.5 million for the next two seasons. While those figures aren't totally unreasonable for Anderson, the team has younger, cheaper backup options on hand in the form Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson, both of whom might be able to handle larger roles in 2018 without the Broncos losing much effectiveness on the ground.