The Brisbane Broncos are understood to have opened talks with lock forward Patrick Carrigan over a contract extension and pay rise.

The lock forward is one of the club's most influential players and has long been touted as a future captain - potentially as soon as 2027 if Adam Reynolds elects to hang up the boots at the end of his current deal, a possibility that looks more and more likely.

Carrigan is currently contracted through to the end of 2028 with the Broncos, but that deal was signed in 2023, and is well below what he could, or should, be earning at the end of 2025.

News Corp are reporting Carrigan's management have opened talks with the Broncos about rectifying that situation, although it's stressed the Queensland Maroons Origin forward - who returns to this Sunday's grand final against the Melbourne Storm after being suspended for the preliminary final comeback win over the Penrith Panthers - has no desire to leave the River City.

It's believed Carrigan is on about $750,000 per year at the moment, but if he was to hit the open market, he would likely approach, or better, seven figures.

He is paid well short of what other premier locks Cameron Murray, Jake Trbojevic and Isaah Yeo earn.

“Pat is very happy at the Broncos and we're having some chats at the moment on an upgrade,” Carrigan's manager Jeff Jurotte told the publication.

Where Carrigan and his management could run into problems though is on the salary cap front.

The Broncos are currently investing plenty of time into re-signing Payne Haas, who is off-contract at the end of 2026 and would be free to negotiate with rivals - including the Perth Bears - from November 1 this year, while the club also have plenty of cash spent on the likes of Reece Walsh, Kotoni Staggs who was recently upgraded, Ben Hunt, Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam, Jordan Riki and Brendan Piakura among others.

Reynolds and Hunt may well both retire at the end of 2026, freeing up some value, but Brisbane will then need to look at their future in the halves, and the club will be cautious of overloading their salary cap in the forwards as southern rivals the Gold Coast Titans have done with million-dollar deals each for Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and David Fifita.