Nik Bonitto has earned himself a big payday.
The Denver Broncos edge rusher put together a huge 2024 season, compiling 13.5 sacks and being named second-team All Pro.
He’ll be a free agent after the 2025 season, and so the Broncos have to start thinking about his contract.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold writes that $24.5 million per year is the “likely floor” as the amount Montez Sweat got from the Bears two seasons ago.
“The Broncos still have $32 million remaining in dead cap from Russell Wilson’s release, but (GM George) Paton has called signing Bonitto a priority, adding that they want him ‘here for a long time,'” Legwold writes. “It might behoove the Broncos to get him signed earlier, as a healthy, productive 2025 season would drive up his price.”
Denver is also looking at a possible contract extension for Courtland Sutton, which complicates the financial matters just a bit.
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Bonitto’s situation got tricky earlier than some because he wasn’t a first-round pick back in 2022. If he had been, Denver would’ve had a fifth-year option with him that would’ve delayed free agency by another year.
But because Bonitto went in the second round, he got the standard four-year rookie deal and is now on the verge of free agency.
Like Legwold wrote, Denver might be wise to be proactive here. If the 25-year old has another 13-plus sack season, he’s going to cost much more than $24.5 million per year.
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