Pat Surtain II Shoots Down Trade Rumors: 'I Want to Be a Bronco'

Denver Broncos star cornerback Patrick Surtain II addressed — and subsequently shut down — the offseason trade rumors that bore his name, reaffirming a long-term desire to remain with the organization.

"Obviously, I want to be a Bronco," Surtain told The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson.

There were some trade rumors surrounding #Broncos CB Pat Surtain II. When I asked him if ever thought there was any chance he would be traded, he said, "No.'' He wants to be with the team long term. "Obviously, I want to be a Bronco."
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 17, 2024

The hoopla surrounding Surtain began earlier this year when opportunistic teams, aware that Denver was purging high-end talent, checked in on the availability of the Pro Bowl corner. The Broncos resisted all overtures, inked Surtain to his 2025 fifth-year option, and featured him as the cover model for their new uniforms.

They've also not-so-quietly installed him as the face of the defense — and perhaps the franchise.

“Talent wins in this league. Obviously we feel like we have one of the best corners in the NFL," defensive backs coach/pass-game coordinator Jim Leonhard said after last week's mandatory minicamp. "Excited to work with him and to just help grow the leadership side. He’s getting to a point in his career where his voice goes a long way on the team, in the DB room. So I’m excited to continue to push him there as well as what he’s done on the field. So much of what he does is just so natural. It looks easy for him, and [I am] just trying to find ways to continue to get him to improve, but once again to have more of an impact on this team on the field, off the field. That’s really his next step.”

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Entering year four, potentially with a mega-extension on the table, Surtain is seeking to improve upon a pedestrian (by his standard) 2023 campaign in which he finished as Pro Football Focus' 42nd-ranked CB among 127 qualifiers, drawing the worst coverage grade (64.7) of his career.

“I’ve got a lot to prove," he conceded to Tomasson. “Last season wasn’t the year I wanted to have, so I’m just looking to have a better year. Looking to do what I do best.”

The 24-year-old will anchor a Denver secondary that's undergone an extreme makeover following the March release of All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, who was replaced by free-agent addition Brandon Jones. Who starts opposite Jones will be determined by a four-way battle between PJ Locke, Caden Sterns, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and JL Skinner.

Cornerback is just as murky, with the likes of Damarri Mathis, Riley Moss, Levi Wallace, and Kris Abrams-Draine competing for the honor of being Surtain's running mate — dubious as that is.

"Obviously, Pat is one of the best corners in football, so if you’re playing opposite of Pat, you’re going to get most of the targets. That’s part of it," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said last week. "So having a guy who is resilient, and who can work through adversity during games and kind of invite being attacked. It’s kind of a good thing for a corner also because you can make a lot of plays that way also. It’s my job schematically to kind of push the ball back to Pat. That’s tough sometimes, but we can do it.”

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!