CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II didn’t even have to officially begin his four-year contract before the Broncos adjusted it and gave him a raise — $5 million extra in guaranteed money, and up to $5 million if he meets Pro Bowl and All-Pro incentives this season.
But that restructure didn’t happen because of pressure or any threats of a holdout or “hold-in” or anything of that nature, Surtain said Tuesday evening at a a fundraising event to benefit his foundation at TopGolf in Centennial.
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“None of that crossed my mind,” Surtain said.
“I want to be out there with the team,” he added, “with the guys going out there and having fun and being with the team and supporting the guys.”
Instead, as Surtain described it, the contract adjustment was a process that worked out “mutually” between his representation and the team.
“We talked about it before, but I think it’s a testament to the ownership and the Broncos as an organization,” Surtain said. “And we talked about it, honestly. I want to be here.
“… And they heavily invested into me as well, as much as I invested into them. So, it’s an honor and privilege to be here.”
SURTAIN WAS DROPPING DOWN LIST OF BRONCOS’ HIGHEST-PAID PLAYERS PRIOR TO THE RESTRUCTURE
One reason why the contract adjustment made sense was because of how the circumstances had changed dramatically since the Broncos and Surtain agreed on the four-year contract in September 2024.
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At the time, the four-year, $96-million extension made Surtain the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. But that distinction quickly changed. In average per-year value, he ranked sixth among cornerbacks; in fully-guaranteed money, he ranked eighth.
Still, Surtain said it was “not necessarily” a matter of adjusting the contract to put him more in line with his stature compared with other top corners around the league.
“I think it’s just part of it,” he said. “I think it’s just testament to my hard work and what I’ve been able to show on the field for the past few years, I feel like that’s what they seen, and we talked about it before, and they’re just willing to agree on it and work things out.”
What’s more, Surtain had become the third-highest-paid player on the Broncos defense and fourth on the roster overall in terms of average-per-year contract value. Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto stood ahead of him after signing their extensions last summer. Jaylen Waddle, acquired in a March trade, currently has the highest APY value on the Broncos roster, at $28.25 million.
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Allen and Bonitto are productive players, no doubt, with Allen finally earning the first-team All-Pro recognition he deserved last season after leading the NFL in quarterback hits over the last three seasons. But Surtain is one of just three cornerbacks to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in the last 30 years.
If Surtain meets his incentives, his APY will go from $24 million to $26.5 million, matching Bonitto’s atop the defense.
“Yeah, I think it means a lot. Shout out to the Penners. Shout out to everybody that’s working out that whole situation, because I just feel like, honestly, this team is something special and it’s something I want to be a part of for years to come,” Surtain said.
“And I told myself I want to be a Bronco forever. And the everybody to trust in me, for everybody to see that, I’m a valuable piece of this core of this team. So, I’m glad we got things to be able to work out.”
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The contract adjustment has an impact beyond Surtain. It sends a message to the entire locker room that the team won’t use an early re-signing that proves to be below eventual market value against a player.
So, if a Bronco decides to go into his contract year and play it out and “bet on himself,” as the cliché goes, that’s a choice he can make. But the willingness to reward Surtain for play beyond the original worth of the deal shows that you don’t have to make that wager to cash in; you can take the security of the deal that’s offered early, knowing that the club will be willing to make an adjustment later if you earn it.
Players in the Broncos’ locker room will notice that. Others around the league will, too. That’s a way of doing business that will prove attractive.
For the cost of $5-to-$10 million of cash and cap space, the Broncos might have gained so much more by rewarding Surtain for immediately going above and beyond the value of his deal.
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