According to Bonitto, “I feel like they’ve pretty much kept me a priority throughout the whole process, knowing— they want to extend me, they want me here.” “It just depends on when we’re ready and when they want to finish it.”
Nik Bonitto is continuing to negotiate a contract with the Broncos without complaining much, while other NFL pass rush players are fighting with their teams.
However, Bonitto himself stated last month that the pass-rush market is on his side following the Steelers’ TJ Watt’s historic free agency extension. If he ever agrees with Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons, the star of the Cowboys, will blow the doors off contract scales when he signs his contract. If Trey Hendrickson, the star of the Bengals, ever agrees with the team as a whole, he will also reset the market.
At this moment, yelling “Pay Bonitto” is irrelevant. He wants to be paid by the Broncos. In early August, head coach Sean Payton announced that he was scheduled to be the next in line for an extension, following defensive end Zach Allen and receiver Courtland Sutton. However, following Tuesday’s practice, Bonitto answered a barrage of questions on extensions, indicating a lack of apparent urgency between the two parties.
Payton joked with Allen a few days before Denver signed Allen to a four-year, $102 million agreement in early August, saying that the “ships could see each other on the horizon.” Bonitto is perfectly visible to the Broncos. They can be immediately spotted by Bonitto’s cruiser. On Tuesday, Bonitto praised his agent Tory Dandy, stating that the two have been in good communication. “I feel like something will get done,” he confirmed.
Following Allen’s deal, Payton remarked, “There’s a cost of that a little bit when you sign with a year left — well.” “Injury gives you another year of security. That figure is most likely higher when you sign as a free agent. Therefore, those are all the choices that the athlete and the organization consider.
Bonitto’s timeline appears to be quite straightforward. He has expressed his desire to remain in Denver. The outside linebacker for the Broncos lacks the success records of Parsons and Hendrickson. However, he is younger than both, and in 2024, he had more sacks than Parsons. The more money that is thrown at them, the more power Bonitto has in negotiations.
“With the guys that still need to be signed, the edge market is just going to keep going up and up,” Bonitto stated. Whether it was last year or the confidence I feel I’m going to put myself in this year, simply being in my current position (is favorable).
If a transaction stretches past Week 1 and Bonitto maintains the surge he displayed last year, the price might also increase. After missing the final week of training camp due to a bone spur in his foot, he resumed practice and full team work on Tuesday. He initially experienced pain during a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers on August 7 and sat following the defense’s opening two drives during their preseason game in Santa Clara, California.
On an early drive, Bonitto single-handedly blew up three consecutive San Francisco plays despite having an active bone spur.
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