Frank Clark is staying in the AFC West.
The veteran edge rusher is signing a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos with $5.5 million fully guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday, per a source. Clark's contract with Denver is worth a maximum of $7.5 million with incentives, per Pelissero.
Clark landed on the free-agent market in early March after he and the Chiefs failed to reach an agreement on a revised contract. The Michigan product saw plenty of action in his four seasons in Kansas City, earning three Pro Bowl nods, but as he approached his 30th birthday, he didn't find the market to be as lucrative as one might expect.
As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal wrote following Clark's release, this might have been related to his usage rate in Kansas City, where the Chiefs relied on him plenty, allowing Clark to tally 50-plus pressures in each of the last two seasons. Instead of finding a multi-year deal worth tens of millions, Clark is accepting a one-year contract with a team that made a splash at edge rusher a year ago when it signed Randy Gregory.
As the Broncos learned in 2022, depth is important. Gregory played in just six games for Denver in his first season in the Mile High City, recording two sacks before a knee injury landed him on injured reserve. Gregory would return to play in Weeks 14 and 15, but he didn't make much of an impact, playing a combined 34 snaps between the two contests.
With Clark now on the roster, Denver will be able to rely on two 30-year-old rushers in 2023 instead of leaning heavily on Gregory. Should the Broncos find themselves in a similar situation with Gregory this season, they'll have Clark to turn to in a time of need. And if both are available, Denver can use them rotationally, or as complementary rushers.
Clark has earned roughly $75 million in his eight-year career. He'll make up to 10 percent of that total in 2023, but more importantly, he'll have a job in a division he knows well from his time with Kansas City.
