The Denver Broncos took Nik Bonitto in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He actually nearly fell into the third round. Coming out of college and into the NFL, Bonitto was a developmental player, but he did display high upside as a pass-rusher.
Due to his size, run defense was always going to be a bit of a struggle, but since he's emerged as an elite rusher, the iffy run defense isn't necessarily a major concern. Through four years in the NFL, Bonitto has burst onto the scene. He's made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, with a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024.
He's also finished in the top-10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of the last two years as well. Through four years, Bonitto has amassed 37 sacks, 44 tackles for loss, and 75 quarterback hits. Since the start of 2024, though, Bonitto has 27.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss, and 52 quarterback hits. Now on a long-term extension, his deal with the Broncos looks even better after this latest EDGE contract.
Denver Broncos' Nik Bonitto deal looks like a total steal after Nick Herbig's deal with the Steelers
Not even a full-time starter, Nick Herbig of the Pittsburgh Steelers was able to land a four-year deal worth $100 million, which comes out to $25 million per season.
Edge Nick Herbig and the Pittsburgh Steelers reached agreement today on a four-year, $100 million dollar extension that includes $42 million guaranteed per @MikeGarafolo and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 2, 2026
The deal was negotiated by Joe DiBenedetto, Andy Simms and Ken Sarnoff of @1OF1FOOTBALL. pic.twitter.com/NHURhHBxbE
For reference, Bonitto's deal comes out to $26.5 million per year, so not that much more. However, while Herbig is an ascending player, this does feel like a bit of an overpay. Through three seasons, he's amassed 16 sacks, 79 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 32 quarterback hits.
He had career-high numbers in 2025 with 7.5 sacks, 30 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits. While the Steelers are clearly paying Herbig for what they think he can do in the future, he's got backup-level production in the NFL thus far.
Herbig played in just 13 games in 2024 and 15 in 2025, starting six of them. Through three years in the NFL, Herbig has suited up for 45 games with just 11 starts. Standing at 6-2 and weighing 240 pounds, he's actually a bit smaller that Bonitto.
Overall, this does clearly seem like a bit of an overpay from the Steelers front office. Bonitto is unquestionably a top-10 pass-rusher in the NFL, but Herbig hasn't done anything to sniff that kind of status.
You almost wonder if Bonitto is looking at this new deal and now wondering if he and his agency should have been more aggressive in their contract talks. I'm sure it's a bit more complicated than that, but it's a worthwhile question to ask.
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