The one downside of having so many good players like the Denver Broncos have is that you simply cannot pay everyone, and that's the truth. Even the Philadelphia Eagles cannot do this despite always doing some sort of salary cap gymnastics.
Suddenly for Denver, Bo Nix is eligible for an extension next offseason, but guys like Riley Moss and Marvin Mims Jr. would be free agents, and Denver could be in a spot where only one of the latter two come back.
Even with the salary cap skyrocketing, financial decisions have to be made. On Friday, a mega-deal broke at a key position, and it only makes Nik Bonitto's deal look better by the day.
The Denver Broncos are now paying Nik Bonitto nearly half of what Will Anderson Jr is making
Houston Texans pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. will sign a mega-deal worth $150 million over three years, easily making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of the NFL:
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— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2026
The #Texans and All-Pro edge Will Anderson Jr. have agreed on a blockbuster, 3-year, $150M extension with $134M guaranteed to make him the NFL’s highest paid non-QB ever.
The deal, which includes a rare no-trade clause, was done by @AgentNicoleLynn of @KlutchSports. pic.twitter.com/oJqNuLpCTv
Let's compare Anderson's deal to Bonitto's to see the massive difference:
Anderson: 3 years, $150 million, $134 million guaranteed
Bonitto: 4 years, $106 million, $70 million guaranteed
Bonitto's deal is paying him $26.5 million per year, so the Broncos are getting their stud All-Pro pass-rusher for nearly half the cost that the Texans just signed Anderson to, and to be honest, Anderson isn't close to being double the player that Bonitto is.
While statistics don't tell the entire story, it's still important to take note. Here's what each player did in 2025:
Anderson: 12 sacks, 54 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 23 quarterback hits
Bonitto: 14 sacks, 46 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits
As pure pass-rushers, their comparable. While Anderson might be a bit stronger against the run, the difference doesn't shake out to be worth $23.5 million per season. Simply put, the Texans did overpay here, and while you could argue that this is where contracts are going in the NFL, there still has to be a time where an amount is just too high.
Heck, if you combined the per-year value of Jonathon Cooper and Bonitto's deals, it would work out to be $40 million per year. What the Broncos have done very well in recent years is extend their own players before major circumstances get into the picture.
They haven't let key players test the open market to drive up the price and have also rewarded their guys without limiting the overall financial flexibility of the team. This latest deal for Anderson is a perfect example of a team like the Texans not doing this.
Sure, he's a great player, but if you look at his deal across the entire EDGE market, and especially with Bonitto's, the Broncos did great work.
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