The Denver Broncos had to deal with $85 million in dead money across the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to the team cutting Russell Wilson following the 2023 season. Those two years went much differently than the NFL world thought.
In fact, it was not hard to find someone or something saying that the Broncos were primed to be one of the worst teams in football in 2024, but that's been far from the case. One huge thing that has stuck out during this time is the team being able to retain their own players with contracts that are both fair to the team and to the player.
And with yet another defensive back getting paid recently, it further proves how awesome of a job the Broncos did with Patrick Surtain II's contract.
Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain's contract is already a huge steal after another CB deal
Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns is the latest defensive back to score a big-money deal, as he now becomes the highest-paid defensive back in the sport with an average annual value of $31.1 million:
A new deal for Denzel: Pro Bowl CB Denzel Ward and the #Browns have agreed to a 2-year, $62.2M extension that makes him the highest paid DB in NFL history for the second time in his career.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2026
The deal, negotiated by Tory Dandy of @AthletesFirst, includes $52.3M guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/3fpoAMRDot
Ward has spent his entire career with the Browns and has been one of the more elite, consistent coverage cornerbacks in the NFL since being drafted, perhaps one of the only ones who comes close to Surtain in that regard.
With Ward's new contract, here is how the cornerback market looks on the per-year basis. It proves just how quickly positions can explode financially:
1. Denzel Ward - $31.1 million per year
2. Trent McDuffie - $31 million per year
3. Sauce Gardner - $30.1 million per year
4. Derek Stingley Jr. - $30 million per year
5. Jaycee Horn - $25 million per year
6. Jalen Ramsey - $24.1 million per year
7. Patrick Surtain II - $24 million per year
The Broncos did sweeten his deal earlier in the offseason:
"The Broncos agreed to a revised contract in 2026 to avoid any potential holdouts by Surtain and also to completely restructure the remainder of the contract. The Broncos agreed to move $5 million of Surtain's 2029 salary into 2026 under the condition that he not hold out. This increased salary payment will also reduce his 2028 guaranteed salary to $0. In addition, the team added a $5 million incentive that Surtain can earn in 2027 for making the Pro Bowl or being selected All Pro." - Over The Cap
With that being said, the main idea here is to reinforce just how insane the cornerback market has gotten. Surtain was the highest-paid at the position when this deal was initially reached, but he's now seventh on a per-year basis.
Surtain is only set to play in his age-26 season in 2026, so he's bound to get another major deal that would come in well over $30 million per year, and I believe the Broncos front office knows this. He's still rather young, the best cornerback in the league, and will continue to prove his worth on the field.
This also happens at every other position with the NFL salary cap getting higher and higher most years. Heck, if the Broncos come to the table next offseason for a contract extension with Bo Nix, that deal could end up being a top-of-market contract.
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