Examining What Could be Stalling Nik Bonitto’s Broncos Extension

Both sides want to get a deal done, so why haven't the Denver Broncos extended Nik Bonitto yet?

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) following the win against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

As we get closer to the start of the 2025 NFL season, the Denver Broncos still have a few players with expiring deals after the season. Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, the Broncos' 2022 second-round pick, may be the most notable.

As of this writing, the Broncos have yet to extend Bonitto. Recently, the Cincinnati Bengals gave Trey Hendrickson a reworked contract that will pay him $29 million this season, while the Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, who then gave him a four-year, $186 million contract with $120 million fully guaranteed.

The Potential Hold-Up

I've previously discussed how those contract situations might have prompted Bonitto's agent to hold off on agreeing to anything with the Broncos. That's because such contracts could impact the amount of the franchise tag in 2026, which is projected to be $27.7M for Bonitto.

What the actual franchise tag number will be remains to be seen, but it's likely that Bonitto's asking price could go up given the recent deals for Hendrickson and Parsons. While Bonitto may not be an elite player, he's a good player and the market for good pass rushers is still strong.

I've previously projected Bonitto receiving a deal averaging between $22M and $24M per year with at least $50M in fully guaranteed money. There's one projection out there with Bonitto getting $25M per year in a new deal. Even that amount doesn't approach what Parsons got, but it's not far from Hendrickson's one-year deal, and it's not far from the projected 2025 franchise tag.

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August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

While it's easy to say the Broncos could have paid less by getting Bonitto's deal done sooner, if his agent did want to see what happened with other players first, there's not much the team can do there — unless they wanted to give an offer that the All-Pro's camp couldn't possibly refuse.

The one thing to keep in mind is that Bonitto, while having improved over the past three seasons, still has some issues with his play, particularly his run defense. He also plays on a defense that features multiple players who are good at rushing the passer.

That's not to say Bonitto isn't a good player. Rather, it's to say that he isn't a game changer on his own and that, in turn, will affect what the Broncos are willing to pay.

The Takeaway

In the end, I expect the Broncos and Bonitto's agent will come to terms. The Broncos have shown they will negotiate in good faith. GM George Paton has proven he won't insist players and agents accept his terms or else — an approach his predecessor John Elway tended to take, one that didn't make him beloved by agents.

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And regardless of what a new deal looks like, it's clear Bonitto will be in line for a significant raise. The main thing for the Broncos is to continue negotiating in good faith with Bonitto's agent — and as long as they do that, the two sides should get a deal done.