The Denver Broncos got to work this past offseason in rewarding many of their home-grown players and others in need of new deals. What we've seen from the George Paton era is a huge emphasis on 'draft and develop' and it's paid off big-time.
Unsurprisingly, the Broncos have rewarded their home-grown players with massive contract extensions, as guys like Patrick Surtain II, Quinn Meinerz, and even Garett Bolles have recently signed new deals. Courtland Sutton also got one this past offseason, making it his third with the Broncos, and free agent signing Zach Allen was re-upped as well.
But at one of the most important positions in all of sports, the Broncos have gotten an insane return on their investment from this high-end duo, and not only did the front office reward each player for their work, but in the grand scheme of things, the Broncos are getting the biggest bang for their buck.
Broncos' paying Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper a combined $40 million per season
Both Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper were drafted by the Denver Broncos. Cooper was a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Bonitto was a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The duo broke out big-time in 2024, and they're continuing that into 2025.
Both Bonitto and Cooper have also recently inked long-term deals with the Broncos, and if you combine them together, they're getting paid $40 million per year, but as we've seen from recent EDGE contracts, Denver's deals for Bonitto and Cooper continue to be insane value. Lions' pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson recently signed a deal worth $45 million.
And all of Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, and Myles Garrett are making at least $40 million per year. Danielle Hunter, Maxx Crosby, and Nick Bosa are all making at least $34 million per year. Those are massive deals for only one player.
It's further proof that George Paton is ahead of the game with his two contracts for the best EDGE duo in the NFL, and it eight games here in 2025, Bonitto and Cooper have combined for 14 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 27 QB hits. It's likely that they could double this production since there are still nine games left.
In the 2024 NFL Season, Bonitto and Cooper combined for 24 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, and 44 QB hits. No matter how you slice it, the Denver Broncos have done magnificent work with their pass rush in recent years, and it's a huge testament to how great of a job the team's front office has done.