New Contract Proposed for Broncos' All-Pro Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto
New Contract Proposed for Broncos' All-Pro Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Led by edge rusher Nik Bonitto, the Denver Broncos had one of the NFL's top defenses in 2024, allowing just 18.3 points per game.
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Bonitto led the Broncos with 13.5 of the team's 63 sacks, on his way to a second-team All-Pro season and Pro Bowl appearance in 2024. That was a major jump in production from 1.5 sacks in his rookie season in 2022 and eight sacks in 2023.
It may surprise you to hear that Bonitto was third in the NFL in sacks, just behind the highly-paid Miles Garrett (14) and Trey Hendrickson (17.5).
Hendrickson is holding out for an extension right now, and according to Tom Blair of NFL.com, Bonitto should be too.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) tries to avoid a tackle by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The 25-year-old out of Oklahoma was a second-round pick in 2022. He is still on his rookie contract, which means he is making less than $1.5 million this season.
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Here is how Blair breaks it down.
"Dividing Bonitto's APY [$1.45 million] by his team-leading 13.5 sacks in 2024 works out to $107,407 per sack in APY. That might seem like a decent amount, until you put it next to Trey Hendrickson's APY-per-sack mark of $1.2 million," Blair wrote.
Throw in the fact that Blair believes Hendrickson is currently underpaid, which means Bonitto is making almost 10 times less than he could be. It might be hard to convince the Broncos to put an extension together with such a cheap deal.
However, Bonitto's contract ends after the 2025-2026 season, which means the Broncos will have to pay up anyway if they want to keep the star defender going forward.
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It will be up to head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton to decide if
Related: Broncos Suggested to Trade for Former 1,000-Yard RB
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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