In "one of the easier decisions we'll make," the Denver Broncos are planning to exercise star cornerback Patrick Surtain II's fifth-year contract option ahead of the May 2 deadline, general manager George Paton confirmed Tuesday.
"Pat is going to be here," Paton told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "Obviously we value Pat, and we’ll see where that goes. We’ll work on that. I would say it’s pretty close. That’s an easy one. That’s one of the easier decisions we’ll make.”
The ninth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Surtain is entrenched among the league's best at his position, earning two Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod across his first three seasons. He led the Broncos in pass deflections (12) and finished third in solo tackles (59) last year, playing 99.2% of the team's defensive snaps.
Surtain, who turns 24 next month, is scheduled to earn just $1.055 million in base salary for the 2024 campaign. That number will skyrocket to roughly $19.8 million — fully guaranteed — in 2025 once his option is officially picked up.
Assuming, of course, Denver doesn't extend him by that point or, in a less likely scenario, trades him this offseason as part of a blockbuster deal.
“We’re all big fans of Pat. ... We want Pat here for a long time," Paton said on Jan. 9.
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