The Denver Broncos have a premier pass-rusher on their hands in Nik Bonitto, but how much is too much on a contract extension?
Bonitto ranked inside the top-10 in all of sacks, QB hits, and tackles for loss in the 2024 NFL Season, notching 13.5 sacks, 24 QB hits, and 16 tackles for loss. He was insanely productive and also added two defensive touchdowns.
He did get some brief hype for the Defensive Player of the Year award, but that obviously went to Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos shutdown cornerback. Well, Bonitto has just one more year left on his deal, as he was a second-round pick back in the 2022 NFL Draft, so there is no fifth-year option.
There is reason to believe that Denver will extend Bonitto this offseason, but how much is too much?
Nik Bonitto might end up being a very rich man...
From Jeff Legwold of ESPN on a potential extension for Bonitto:
"Latest on negotiations: Because Bonitto was a second-round pick in 2022, the Broncos don't have the fifth-year option as a cushion in their negotiations with the edge rusher, who had 13.5 sacks and was second-team All-Pro last season. The 25-year-old is scheduled to be a free agent after the upcoming season, and the team will have to give him a deal commensurate with those of the league's best edge rushers to keep him.Jeff Legwold
Montez Sweat's deal in 2023, which averages $24.5 million per year, is the likely floor for the ascending Bonitto, who helped Denver lead the NFL in sacks in 2024."
Legwold indicates that the $24.5 million mark could be the floor for a potential contract extension for Nik Bonitto, meaning that Denver might be looking at a deal worth at least $25 million per season. If he were to hit that mark, he would be behind Myles Garrett, Danielle Hunter, Maxx Crosby, Nick Bosa, Josh Hines-Allen, Brian Burns, and TJ Watt in terms of average annual value.
And $25 million per year would be more than Montez Sweat, Rashan Gary, Andrew Van Ginkel, Trey Hendrickson, Gregory Rousseau, and others. It's pretty much a guarantee that Bonitto will sign a deal in the top-10 among pass-rushers in AAV.
He's not likely to reach that $30 million per year mark, but $25 million does seem pretty likely. It would not shock me then if the Denver Broncos offered something around a four-year, $100 million deal to their stud pass-rusher.
Would that be too much, not enough, or just right for Nik Bonitto?