The Broncos have been generous during training camp, dishing out big contracts to veteran players. First, Denver inked Courtland Sutton to a four-year, $92-million extension. Then, they upped the ante, dishing out a four-year, $102-million deal to Zach Allen.
Both players were deserving of the money. They’ve delivered for the Broncos, becoming mainstays on offense and defense, respectively.
But as good as Sutton and Allen have been, they aren’t the players on the roster most worthy of a payday. That was readily apparent during Denver’s preseason opener.
On three straight plays in the first quarter, Nik Bonitto showed his dominance. He sacked Mac Jones on first-and-10. Then, he forced the 49ers quarterback to step up in the pocket, leading to a sack by John Franklin-Myers. And finally, he flushed Jones to his left, resulting to a hapless incompletion on third-and-17.
“He did ruin that whole series,” San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “It was three plays in a row.”
Three plays. Unblockable. Harassing the quarterback. Changing the game.
Yes, it’s a small sample size. But this is nothing new. Bonitto has been playing at that level for the Broncos for two-plus years.
After a rough rookie season in which he only recorded 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks, the edge rusher has blossomed. He exploded with 8.0 sacks in 2023 and followed it up with an impressive 13.5 last season. That’s a bar graph that is trending in the right direction.
Based on his performance against San Francisco, there’s no reason to believe things are going to be different in 2025. Bonitto looks to be even better.
At just 25 years old, the linebacker is emerging as one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. Coming off of his first Pro Bowl appearance, as well as a second-team All-Pro honor, Bonitto’s stock is on the rise.
It’s time to lock him up for the foreseeable future. There’s no reason to wait any longer.
Yes, he doesn’t have the seven-year resume that Sutton has in Denver. And he doesn’t have the six-year career that Allen has under his belt. But he has more of a future in a Broncos uniform. Plus, he’s yet to be rewarded.
Sutton had already earned $55 million during his first seven seasons in the Mile High City before getting his new deal. Allen hauled in $32.5 million during his first two years in orange and blue before getting four more.
They each received their second big contract from the Broncos. Bonitto is yet to get one.
He’s still on his rookie contract, a deal that’s paid him just $4.3 million over three years. In NFL terms, Bonitto is grossly underpaid.
Perhaps the Broncos wanted to make sure Bonitto wasn’t a flash in the pan. Maybe they wanted to make sure that his breakout performance last season wasn’t an aberration.
They knew what they had in Sutton. Same with Allen. But Bonitto was possibly a bit of a mystery.
Saturday night in Santa Clara proved that is no longer a concern, however. Bonitto was all over the field, looking even better than he did a season ago.
“Bonitto is a hell of a player,” Shanahan added. “We knew that would be a challenge.”
Indeed. He’s a player that other teams have to account for. He’s a defender that alters the opponent’s offensive game plan.
Those types of players are hard to find. So the Broncos can’t afford to let one get away.
With all due respect to Sutton and Allen, Bonitto is more of a game changer than his veteran teammates. And he’s much more likely to propel Denver to great heights.
A wide receiver with two 1,000-yard seasons in seven years is fairly pedestrian. An interior defensive lineman can only make so much of an impact.
But an edge rusher, a guy who can get after the other team’s quarterback, is invaluable. It’s a position that makes or breaks a defense.
Great ones are hard to find. The Broncos weren’t quite sure they had one in Bonitto. But they need to figure it out. And soon.
Right now, the price tag for Bonitto is likely around $25 million per season. With each passing day, it’s going up and up. If he has another big year, it’ll be $35 to $40 million.
There’s no reason to wait. The answer has been provided.
Nik Bonitto showed on Saturday night that he wasn’t a one-hit wonder. He’s one of the best in the game. And the Broncos need to make sure he remains in Denver for years to come.