Key Broncos in a Contract Year: Projecting OLB Nik Bonitto's Payday

Denver Broncos rush linebacker Nik Bonitto, a 20222 second-round draft pick, is coming off his best season as a pro. After finishing with 13.5 sacks and 36 total pressures, Bonitto garnered Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades and is looking to get paid well as he enters the final season of his draft pick contract.

While Bonitto did get a proven performance escalator in his current contract, thanks to the snaps he's played and his Pro Bowl selection, a future extension is going to pay him more than the $5.346 million he's due this season. The question is, how much will he get?

Let's start by examining the current salaries for edge rushers and where Bonitto fits.

Top of the Edge Rusher Market

The top pass rushers in the NFL are paid generously, with Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter the top examples. Garrett got an extension through 2030 that averages $40M per year and gave him $88M in full guarantees, while Hunter garnered a one-year extension that will pay him $55.1M with all but a $500K per-game roster bonus in each season fully guaranteed.

While Bonitto is coming off a great season from a pass-rushing standpoint, he's not elite in every aspect. His run defense remains an issue, and he has yet to surpass 40 pressures in a single season. For comparison, Garrett has surpassed 40 pressures in three of his seven seasons and hit 52 pressures in 2021.

It's not likely you'll see Bonitto approach the numbers of Garrett and other top pass rushers. But that doesn't mean Bonitto won't be in line for a significant pay raise.

Let's now look at a couple of pass rushers who aren't among the highest paid but are still compensated well.

Three Comparable Edge Rushers

Let's start with Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5 sacks and 32 pressures in his final season with the Houston Texans in 2023. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings for four years at $76M with $38M fully guaranteed. Greenard remained productive in 2024 with 12 sacks and 42 pressures.

Then there's Josh Sweat, whose best sack output while with the Philadelphia Eagles was 11 sacks in 2022 and whose best pressure output was 37 in 2023. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent for four years at $76.4M with $38M fully guaranteed.

The other example is Gregory Rousseau, who re-signed with the Buffalo Bills. Rousseau has never had more than eight sacks in a season, but did have a career-best 35 pressures in 2024. He got a four-year, $80M contract with $49M fully guaranteed at signing.

This is more likely to be the market for a player like Bonitto. The likes of Greenard, Sweat, and Rousseau are quality players, but none would be considered elite. Bonitto is great at rushing the passer, but because of his issues as a run defender, he's not elite.

Still, it's reasonable for Bonitto to seek a deal that puts him past these three players in a new contract.

What Bonitto Might Get

Given the deals signed by Greenard, Sweat and Rousseau, Bonitto can certainly push for a four-year deal that averages between $22M and $24M per year. He can also seek at least $50M in fully guaranteed money.

If Bonitto gets at least $50M in fully guaranteed money, he would be in the top 10 in that aspect. Contract structure would also be important, especially because if he were to sign an extension now, it would start when he's in the final year of his current deal.

A fair contract for Bonitto would ensure he has fully guaranteed money to be paid through 2027, which is how Rousseau's deal is structured. Bonitto should get all of his 2025 and 2026 salaries guaranteed, along with a significant amount in 2027, with the rest guaranteed for injury.

The question, of course, is whether the Broncos come to terms with Bonitto on such a deal. Given how the Broncos got three of their 2021 draft picks signed to extension, it wouldn't surprise if they get a deal done with Bonitto, as he's the only 2022 draft pick with a strong case for an extension.

And while the Broncos do have a lot of decisions to make about players entering the final years of their contracts, Bonitto is the youngest of those players at 26 years old. And general manager George Paton has shown he will get deals done in a timely manner, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Bonitto and the Broncos come to terms at some point.