The Denver Broncos and general manager George Paton continue to take care of players that produce for them, extending emerging star pass rusher Nik Bonitto with a four-year extension.
Denver Broncos give Nik Bonitto a massive contract extension
The Denver Broncos dominant pass rush is here to stay, while also having a lockdown secondary behind them. Nik Bonitto will stay a Denver Bronco after he and the team agreed to terms on a four-year extension worth up to $120M max with $70M of it being guaranteed.
Bonitto has quickly ascended as an emerging star pass rusher after he initially struggled during his rookie season under Nathaniel Hackett, entering the league amidst a team culture that didn’t know how to win.
Bonitto has been one of the players responsible for helping Sean Payton transform the on-field culture and the locker room culture, and was a key catalyst in Denver’s surge to get to the playoffs last season.
On top of that, Bonitto has been a clear example of the Broncos’ investment in their player development, with him going from 1.5 sacks as a rookie to 8 sacks in his second season, followed by a 13 sack year in 2024 that had him in the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, which ultimately went to teammate Patrick Surtain II.
His first step, get off, bend, and strength are traits that have allowed him to continue to ascend as a pass rusher, making him a pain to gameplan for by opposing offensive coordinators. In the last two years, Bonitto has combined for 44 quarterback hits, 21 sacks, 29 tackles for a loss, and two defensive touchdowns, which both came last season.
“He can bend,” Payton said. “I think you can get off the line of scrimmage quickly, but I think more importantly, the thing that helps him is when you have someone that can get off the line quickly with the snap count, anticipate it but then also can really bend lower than where the tackle wants to put his left hand. That can be problematic.”
Now he’s locked in for the long haul on this stout Broncos defense.
