Denver quarterback John Elway, who will complete...

Denver quarterback John Elway, who will complete the final year of a five-year $5 million contract this season, could ask for and receive a salary of $2 million a year, according to a random sampling of agents, owners and coaches.

Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly reportedly will be the highest-paid player in the NFL in 1987 with a $1.1 million base salary. Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Dan Marino’s recently negotiated a contract that reportedly will pay him $9 million for six years--an average of $1.5 million annually--starting in 1988.

“Clearly, for a John Elway, you’re talking about a couple million a year,” player agent Leigh Steinberg told the Denver Post.

Negotiations between Elway and the Broncos are expected to start in the next few weeks. However, Broncos’ Owner Pat Bowlen already has expressed interest in signing Elway to a lifetime contract.