The Broncos could be looking to lock up one of their top pass rushers as soon as possible. Nick Kosmider of The Athletic says “it’s fair to assume talks will heat up” between the Broncos and Nik Bonitto as training camp approaches.
Kosmider points directly to last offseason, when the team signed offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz and cornerback Patrick Surtain II just before the start of the regular season. The front office may be following a similar timeline with Bonitto, and Kosmider believes it isn’t in the team’s best interest to drag negotiations into the regular season.
Specifically, the writer is wary of Bonitto quickly compiling some early-season sacks that “could further drive up his asking price.” The former second-round pick is already eyeing an average annual value of at least $20MM, with Kosmider citing Greg Rousseau‘s four-year, $80MM deal and even Brian Burns‘ five-year, $141MM extension.
Bonitto doesn’t have the same starting track record as those two pass rushers, but he is one of the ascending players at his position. After collecting eight sacks in a part-time role in 2024, the linebacker collected 13.5 sacks in his first full season as a starter. That performance earned him second-team All-Pro honors, and Bonitto’s camp will surely be pushing for him to be among the highest-paid players at his position.
Bonitto may also be inclined to see where extensions land for the likes of T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, and Trey Hendrickson come in, which could slightly delay negotiations between the two sides. Either way, it sounds like the 25-year-old will eventually be signing a lucrative contract, and the Broncos are hoping he’ll put pen to paper as soon as possible.