Broncos' newly-paid defensive stars already making Denver look like geniuses

Before the season, the Broncos shelled out serious cash to bolster their defensive front. Both returning players and newcomers were paid big money to arm Denver for what they hope will be a run at the AFC West crown. It didn’t take long for those investments to pay off in a desperately needed Week 1 win.

The Denver Broncos played an ugly game on offense, but the defense ended up carrying the load when it mattered the most. Fortunately, the offense ended up doing just enough for the team to escape with a victory.

And while the defense as a whole played well, a few newly-paid players proved precisely why the Broncos paid them in the first place.

Denver Broncos highly-paid defensive stars showing why they got paid in the first place

Nik Bonitto, EDGE

We’ll start with Denver’s own Nik Bonitto. Last season’s breakout star and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up kept contract talks quiet before announcing a contract extension just hours ahead of Thursday’s NFL season opener. Bonitto’s four-year, $106 million deal made him the highest paid non-QB player in Broncos history. The decision to come to terms quickly was mutually beneficial, rewarding him for his production immediately while keeping one of Denver’s young leaders and premier pass rushers locked in through 2029.

In the opener against the Tennessee Titans, Bonitto wasted no time setting the tone, blowing up the first play of the game for a tackle for loss. He went on to rack up two tackles for loss, three QB hits, and a sack where he hit rookie quarterback Cam Ward with his own celebration dance as a not-so-subtle “welcome to the NFL.”

Talanoa Hufanga, SAF

One of Denver’s many splash free-agent signings this offseason didn’t take long to win over his teammates. Earlier this week, veteran safety Talanoa Hufanga was voted a team captain in his first year with the Broncos. On Sunday, he quickly won over fans as well, leading the defense with 10 total tackles and forcing the Broncos' first takeaway of the season with a pivotal fumble on Titans running back, Tony Pollard.

The Broncos signed Hufanga to a three-year, $45 million deal to reinforce the back end of their defense. After injuries derailed his final years in San Francisco, Denver is banking on a healthy version of the former All-Pro to help anchor their defense. With this much production in just one week, there is not telling what Hufanga is capable of if he can stay healthy all season long.

Zach Allen, DE

Hindsight is always 20/20, but back in 2023, when the Broncos let Dre’Mont Jones walk and instead signed Zach Allen, fans were left feeling divided. Tensions flared between Jones and Denver with lots of animosity shortly after, but the move has since paid off. Allen who was highly sought by Vance Joseph after their time together in Arizona, earned second-team All-Pro honors and helped power a franchise-record 63-sack season in 2024, leading to his second contract with the team: a four-year, $104 million extension.

Now ranked fourth all-time in QB hits for the Broncos (64), Allen picked up right where he left off adding three more QB hits against Tenessee in the Broncos season opener. Allen's biggest moment came in the form of a monster sack that knocked the Titans out of field goal range in a crucial momentum-swinging drive.

Week 1 results in the NFL should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it was encouraging to see Denver’s high-priced defenders deliver in key moments. While much of the offense and special teams looked out of sync, the Broncos’ payday players powered them to a gritty, hard-fought season-opening win.