Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto: Contract-extension talks are ongoing

LITTLETON, Colo. — By this time last year, Quinn Meinerz had his second contract squared away, as he agreed to terms nearly a week before Broncos players reported for training camp. But the new contract for cornerback Pat Surtain II was still over a month away, and the four-year extensions for Jonathon Cooper and Garett Bolles were still three-and-a-half and nearly five months over the horizon, respectively.

In other words, now is not the time for Broncos Country to fret that an extension for Nik Bonitto is not yet complete, even with veterans set to report for training camp on Tuesday.

But negotiations are ongoing, the fourth-year edge rusher confirmed Sunday as he answered questions just before heading onto the field at Columbine High School to guide approximately 200 children in his afternoon football camp, the first one that he’s held in the Denver area.

“Those type of talks are happening right now,” Bonitto said. “But I kind of just keep that with my agent. Just let him handle that. My focus is winning and trying to get a championship.”

And when the contract comes … it comes.

“No time period,” Bonitto said. “I know these things can happen tomorrow or happen months from now. So I kind of just keep it day by day and just keep the focus on football.”

 

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BONITTO’S POTENTIAL CONTRACT WON’T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t taken note of the massive deals given to other edge rushers such as Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.

Garrett’s four-year deal has an average per-year value of $40 million and includes $123.596 million in guaranteed money. Watt’s three-year extension has $108 million in guaranteed money and averages $41 million per year.

Watt is 30; Garrett is 29, so age is a factor, although both are considerably more accomplished. Bonitto has one double-digit sack season to his name; Watt has six and Garrett has seven, as both are on Hall of Fame trajectories.

Still, the market is what it is, and the rising tide lifts all boats, as the cliché goes. Seven edge rushers have average per-year contract values of more than $25 million. Given that Bonitto ranked third in the NFL in sacks last year with 13.5, he figures to come in somewhere above that.

“Yeah, I mean, the edge market is kind of crazy right now, just knowing that everybody’s getting these big deals and it’s only getting bigger and bigger,” Bonitto said. “And, luckily for me, I’m in a good position right now where the market’s kind of in my favor.”

And justifying a massive deal is another log on Bonitto’s motivational fire.

“Yeah, 100 percent. I mean, just going back and watching the film and knowing how much better I can be at certain areas and just plays, I feel like I missed out on that I know I can make,” he said. “I feel like that would just be a big factor for me.”

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