There are a few players it’s hard to see the Denver Broncos ascending to a Super Bowl without — edge rusher Nik Bonitto is 1 of them.
Bonitto, a 2-time Pro Bowler and NFL All-Pro, limped off the field at Tuesday’s practice after hurting his knee.
“Appeared to hurt left leg in a drill, limped off with trainers, was grimacing,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans wrote on X on Tuesday afternoon. “We’ll hear from Sean Payton later.”
“Broncos All-Pro pass rusher Nik Bonitto is walking gingerly off the field as a member of the medical staff carries his helmet,” Broncos reporter Brandon Krisztal wrote on X. “Hopefully it’s something minor.”
Payton didn’t share much on Bonitto’s status.
“No update,” Payton said after practice. “He’ll be fine.”
Nik Bonitto ‘Tremendous Value’ for Broncos
If we are looking for the template of how and when to pay your very best players, the Broncos are becoming 1 of the NFL’s elite franchises when it comes to how to do it.
That point was underlined this offseason, after the Houston Texans signed superstar edge rusher Will Anderson to a 3-year, $150 million contract extension that included $134 million in guaranteed money and an average annual salary of $50 million per year.
Anderson’s deal came less than 1 year after the Broncos signed Bonitto to a 4-year, $106 million contract with $70 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $26.5 million.
It’s remarkable because the Broncos are now paying essentially half as much for a player with almost identical stats to Anderson, with Bonitto having the edge in many key categories.
“Nik Bonitto makes nearly HALF of Will Anderson Jr’s new deal per year,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account. “Bonitto already a TREMENDOUS value for the Broncos.”
Broncos Have NFL’s Premier Pass-Rush Duo
The Broncos have led the NFL in sacks the last 2 seasons, including a run at the NFL’s single-season sacks record in 2025. It still doesn’t mean they’re looked at as the very best when it comes to the most important position on the field for getting sacks.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put the Broncos at No. 2 on his list of the Top 10 NFL edge rusher duos, placing NFL All-Pro and 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper behind Houston Texans edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
While Anderson and Hunter combined for more sacks (27.0) than Bonitto and Cooper (22.0) in 2025, it was the Broncos who claimed the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs with a 14-3 regular-season record and advanced to the NFC Championship Game while the Texans were booted in the AFC Divisional Round for the 3rd consecutive season.
“In 2024, Bonitto exploded into stardom with 13.5 sacks,” Davenport wrote. “He backed that up last year by getting to the quarterback 14 times. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that opponents can’t focus on Bonitto because of the presence of Allen and Bonitto’s partner in crime on the edge in Jonathon Cooper. Cooper may not be an elite talent, but the 28-year-old is talented, versatile and productive — in each of the past three seasons, Cooper has hit the 50-tackle mark and added at least eight sacks. Over the last two years, the pair have combined to post 46 sacks. That’s rather a lot.”
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