Patrick Surtain II was the highest paid defensive back in the NFL for a little bit, but the Broncos cornerback no longer holds that title. Surtain proceeded to win the Defensive Player of the Year award this past season after being made the highest paid DB in NFL history.
Well, the NFL is an ever-changing league, as players are constantly scoring deals and resetting the market at their respective positions. This is even true for the cornerback market. The first CB taken in the 2021 NFL Draft was actually not Surtain - it was Jaycee Horn, who has struggled with injuries in his NFL career and just isn't nearly as good as Surtain.
He somehow was able to land this deal on Monday:
Sources: There is a new highest-paid DB in the NFL history — as the #Panthers agreed on a huge extension with Pro Bowl CB Jaycee Horn.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2025
He gets a 4-year, $100M deal ($25M per year), with $70M guaranteed. Negotiated by Trevon Smith & David Mulugheta of @AthletesFirst. 💰 💰 💰 pic.twitter.com/XsIzIJm9Uw
The Carolina Panthers paid him WHAT?
Getting a deal worth $25 million a year is something and just goes to show you how insane these NFL contracts are becoming. Horn has never played in a full season in his NFL career, playing in 3, 13, 6, and 15 games in his first four seasons.
In 2024, Horn had one interception, 13 passes defended, two sacks, 68 total tackles, and allowed a 92.7 passer rating when in coverage.
Let's compare that with Patrick Surtain II. In 2024, Surtain had four interceptions, 11 passes defended, 45 total tackles, and allowed a 58.9 passer rating when in coverage.
It's clear that Surtain had the better year and is the better cornerback, but the Panthers felt confident enough in Jaycee Horn to make him the highest-paid DB in NFL history.
The Carolina Panthers were quite active in free agency last year and may be prepared to do the same thing this year in their quest to build around Bryce Young, but this contract is a massive overpay for Horn, who is a good cornerback, but not a great one.
The Broncos deal for Patrick Surtain II now looks like a total steal - he won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and is only set to enter his age-25 season. The Broncos may truly have a future Hall of Famer on their hands with Surtain, whose father played in the NFL.
For the Denver Broncos, they have had no issue paying their top players recently. Not only has Surtain scored an extension, but other Broncos like Garett Bolles, Quinn Meinerz, and Jonathan Cooper also recently got new deals, and others like Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto could be in line for new contracts as well.