Broncos Secure Bonitto With Four-Year Extension
The Denver Broncos have cemented their commitment to youthful defensive talent by signing outside linebacker Nik Bonitto to a four-year contract extension worth up to $120 million, including $70 million in guaranteed money, the team announced Thursday.
The deal carries a base value of $106 million with performance-based incentives that elevate the total compensation to $120 million. With an annual average value of roughly $26.5 million, Bonitto now ranks among the top 10 highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL and becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in Broncos franchise history.
From Fort Lauderdale to the NFL
Born on September 26, 1999, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Bonitto attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he tallied more than 140 tackles, 17 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, earning Under Armour All-American honors.
A highly touted four-star recruit, he chose the University of Oklahoma over offers from Texas and Louisville. After redshirting his freshman year, he emerged as a starter, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons and second-team All-American recognition from the Associated Press in 2020. He declared for the NFL draft after his redshirt junior season, foregoing his final year and the Alamo Bowl.
A Broncos Breakout
Denver selected Bonitto with the 64th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, a selection obtained from the Von Miller trade.
In his rookie year, he saw action in 15 games (one start), recording 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and forcing one fumble. The following season, he seized a starting role, particularly following a standout Week 4 performance against the Bears, where he tallied 2.5 sacks and forced a fumble that led to a game-tying scores.
His 2024 campaign was nothing short of sensational. He delivered 13.5 sacks (third in the NFL), 48 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 24 quarterback hits and scored two defensive touchdowns: a 71-yard interception return against Cleveland and a 50-yard fumble return two weeks later. He also notched tackles in six consecutive games – the longest such streak in the NFL that season – and became just the second Broncos player in team history to record defensive scores in consecutive games.
Bonitto’s outstanding play earned him his first Pro Bowl nod and a selection to the Associated Press second-team All-Pro, as well as recognition by the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2025, where he ranked 38th in voting by his peers.
A Defensive Leader in Denver
This extension comes amid a wave of contract continuity that the Broncos have pursued under coach Sean Payton, general manager George Paton, and the Walton-Penner family ownership.
Bonitto joins recent extensions for defensive end Zach Allen and wide receiver Courtland Sutton, preserving a core that helped fuel a 2024 resurgence.
His ascension strengthens a defense led by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, positioning Denver as a unit to reckon with as they open the 2025 season against rookie quarterback Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans.
Bottom line: .
