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Breaking Down Pat Surtain II’s Broncos Future—Cap Options Ahead

Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) warms up before at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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Breaking Down Pat Surtain II’s Broncos Future—Cap Options Ahead

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated May 19, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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Some Denver Broncos veterans have contracts that expire after the 2026 season, and others have deals that expire after 2027. However, there are a number of veterans who are under contract with the Broncos for multiple years.

With the Broncos considering whether to extend quarterback Bo Nix in 2027, some might ask whether it makes sense to restructure the contracts of players with more than one year left on their deals.

We continue this series with such a player: cornerback Patrick Surtain II. In Surtain's case, you have a player who some would consider a cornerstone of the franchise, not just this season, but for years to come.

Contract Status

Surtain carries a cap charge of $16.832 million for 2026. This comes after the Broncos exercised a $10 million option bonus in his contract. An option bonus is treated like a signing bonus when exercised, with the money spread out over the remaining years on the contract.

Additionally, Surtain is due a fully guaranteed base salary of $7.632 million. In 2027, he has a base salary of $17 million that is fully guaranteed — it became so on March 15 of this year. His 2027 cap charge is $26.2 million, and he does not have an option bonus that year.

In 2028, Surtain is due a base salary of $19.49 million, with a $510K per-game roster bonus, and has a cap charge of $29.2 million. In 2029, Surtain is due a base salary of $23.49 million, with a $510K per-game roster bonus and a cap charge of $32.2 million.

Surtain's deal expires after the 2029 season, and he has a void year in 2030 for cap purposes. If he isn't extended by then, the Broncos would incur a $2 million dead money charge.

Future Outlook

With Surtain, there isn't a question about whether or not he'll be on the roster for the foreseeable future, unless his level of play were to dramatically decline. While nothing can be ruled out, players of the caliber of Surtain tend to have long careers with multiple years of elite play.

Therefore, the consideration with Surtain isn't about his status on the roster but about whether the Broncos might restructure his contract to free up more cap space. The Broncos could, for example, convert $10 million of his 2027 base salary into a signing bonus to give them more wiggle room under the cap.

A restructure would likely include additional void years to allow the Broncos to spread out cap charges and avoid increasing Surtain's 2028 and 2029 cap numbers too much. It would increase the dead money charges in 2030 if his deal expired and the Broncos didn't extend him — but, again, it wouldn't increase that much.

In Surtain's case, it's possible the Broncos will want to keep him beyond 2030, as long as he continues to play at a high level. The one consideration would have to be how much Surtain would seek in an extension, especially if he keeps playing at a high level.

The Takeaway

When it comes to restructuring contracts in 2027, Surtain is probably the safest bet among Broncos veterans. He is the type of player that you want to keep around as long as possible — provided he keeps playing at an elite level.

The Broncos could easily add a couple of void years for cap purposes to his deal, then ride it out with his cap charge in 2028 and, in 2029, consider whether or not it makes sense to extend him for a few more seasons.

Even when it comes time to extend Nix, the Broncos should be able to keep a few players around with larger cap charges. In some cases, they may have to make tough choices, but with Surtain, he's a player in which it's easier to look at him as a key player to the franchise as long as he plays at a high level.

For now, the main thing the Broncos can be sure of is that they should be able to lower Surtain's cap number without making things too difficult in the long run. That won't be the case for every player, and while restructuring Surtain's deal carries some risk, it's worth it as long as he remains an elite player.