Denver Broncos edge rusher, Nik Bonitto, celebrating a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan 5, 2025.
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Denver Broncos edge rusher, Nik Bonitto, celebrating a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan 5, 2025.
The Denver Broncos are in a pretty good spot at the moment heading into 2025. Although they play in one of the toughest divisions in football, the AFC West, they have – on paper at least – one of the most stringent-looking defenses in football to go with a crop of young, high-upside offensive talent.
Yet, they do have one thing that still needs sorting out – the contract extension for stud edge rusher and second-team All-Pro Nik Bonitto. After newly traded-for Green Bay Packer, Micah Parsons, reset the market at the position in receiving $47 million per season on a four-year deal, Bonitto’s expectations may have seen some substantial increase.
The Broncos will obviously try their best to keep their best pass rusher in house, but if they cannot, then there is no doubt that he will be a more-than-coveted target for almost any team across the NFL.
Nik Bonitto Currently The #1 Free Agent Ahead of 2026
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes that were he to reach free agency – which he is currently set to do at the end of the season, he would be the #1 free agent in the league in the 2026 crop.
Whilst Knox believes that it is somewhat unlikely that any of the top projected free agents, over six months out from March’s opening of the gate, at this point in time the former second round pick remains the top player on the list.
“The Denver Broncos have made it fairly obvious that they plan to make edge-rusher Nik Bonitto their next recipient of a long-term extension—even if they won’t publicly talk specifics.” Knox wrote on Sunday.
What Would Bonitto’s Value Be In Free Agency?
Knox believes that if he does hit the open market, Bonitto will get one that pays him something in the ball park of four years, $122 million – or just over $30 million/year.
“If Bonitto somehow becomes available, though, teams can expect to deal with an open-market offer frenzy. Set to turn just 26 in late September, Bonitto has the type of long-term upside that free-agent pass-rushers almost never possess—[Trey] Hendrickson was a rare exception when he hit the market in 2021.
With 21.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, Bonitto has enough production to justify a deal that pays him somewhere between Hendrickson and Watt annually.”
Denver have the 10th most cap space in 2026, with nearly $77 million to work with. Bonitto is not the only player the Broncos brass will look to re-sign at some point over the coming months, with defensive lineman, John Franklin-Myers; linebacker, Alex Singleton; and center, Luke Wattenberg, all equally in contract years.
Yet, barring any sensational campaigns in 2026, none of them will command Bonitto-esque paydays.
One potential hold-back is that after an offseason in which now three edge rushers. received contracts at, or in excess of $40 million/year, the franchise tag may not be a realistic option for the Broncos.
But with a top-level talent like Bonitto, who could still be undervalued by the market – and could well play himself into a $40 + million type contract next offseason – those calibers of players are almost always extended.