The Denver Broncos have something special on their hands with Nik Bonitto, and this rep only further proves it. Despite the loss, there is a good bit to like with this team, and it's not like the season is over. Denver was 1-2 at this point in 2024 and ended up going 9-5 over their final 14 games.
In 2023, Denver was 0-3 through their first three games and ended up finishing 8-6 over the next 14. I say this all to say that the team can rebound, and they've got the roster talent to rebound as well. Denver was leading in the fourth quarter in both Weeks 2 and 3, so their issues simply might come down to being able to close out games.
Well, it's clear that Denver's defensive line is loaded with elite players, and this singular rep from Nik Bonitto continues to prove just how good he is and why he got pad.
This is flat-out absurd from Nik Bonitto
Mind you, this pressure created by Bonitto was also on Joe Alt, one of the best left tackles in the NFL and someone who is much, much bigger than the Broncos' pass-rusher:
Nik Bonitto SHOT OUT OF A CANNON pic.twitter.com/E4YotzaABT
— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) September 21, 2025
These are the plays that the Denver Broncos want to see from their highly-paid pass-rusher. Through three games, Nik Bonitto already has three sacks, four tackles for loss, and nine QB hits. He's currently on pace for the following 17-game output:
17 sacks
23 tackles for loss
51 QB hits
If this was the type of production that the Denver Broncos got from Bonitto, he'd likely win the Defensive Player of the Year. And yes it's early, but it's a continuation of what we all saw with our eyes in 2024. Many people in Broncos Country are still a bit uneasy about Bonitto and his ability to continue producing when it matters the most.
But with each passing game in 2025, Bonitto continues to prove his worth, and now he and the Broncos defense hopefully gets to feast on a backup QB in Jake Browning when the Cincinnati Bengals come to down in Week 4.