There’s good news on the Chris Harris front.
Broncos general manager John Elway and team negotiator Mike Sullivan have each spoken to Chris Harris’ agent, Frederick Lyles, over the last few weeks, according to The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala.
Jhabvala tweeted Saturday that the two sides are expected to continue talking, which is a good sign. There have been no reports that a contract extension is imminent, but Denver’s certainly not ignoring the cornerback’s request.
Harris has been holding out from the team’s offseason program, seeking a new contract. He’s entering the final season of a five-year deal that averages $8.5 million per season. It’s unclear how much Harris would accept on his next contract but Kareem Jackson’s average ($11 million per year) is probably a good starting point for negotiations.
The Broncos signed Jackson to a three-year, $33 million contract in March. Jackson is about a year older than Harris and he has never been selected to a Pro Bowl (Harris has earned four All-Star nods). So it’s probably safe to assume Lyles will be seeking more than $11 million per season for his client.
Denver will begin the first round of organized team activities Monday and mandatory minicamp will begin June 4. Harris will be fined if he skips mandatory camp. Perhaps the cornerback will have a new contract by then.
