Pat Surtain II’s contract extension: What’s next for the Broncos?

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos have seemingly been defined by change in recent years, but owners Greg and Carrie Penner have repeatedly stressed that there is a plan in place to get the franchise where it needs to be. Carrie Penner talked about making the Broncos the “best team to play for, work for and cheer for.”

And while hordes of construction workers begin building the Broncos' new, spacious office complex, scheduled to open in 2026, the team took a big step on the field on Wednesday by retaining a fundamental player to build a defense.

Cornerback Pat Surtain II's four-year, $96 million contract extension with $77.5 million guaranteed also takes effect in the 2026 season and is expected to keep him with the Broncos through the 2029 season. This makes Surtain – at least for now in the fast-paced, ever-changing contract world of the NFL – the highest-paid defensive back in league history.

But it also serves as a signal to the rest of the locker room that the Broncos want to keep their own stars – that free agency isn't the only way to get a big contract with the franchise.

Considered the team's best player in his own locker room, Surtain was Denver's biggest undrafted signing, set to play in 2025 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract the Broncos agreed to earlier this year.

The Broncos also now avoid any preseason contract drama next year, such as Surtain's absence from the offseason program while negotiating a new contract. And he would have been one of the most coveted free agents had he ever hit the market.

Here's a look at what the new deal means for the Broncos and Surtain:

What does Surtain's contract extension mean for the Broncos' defense?

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has said several times that Surtain is a very special player, a “special, special guy in coverage.”

Surtain is also durable – he has missed just one game in his three-year career (the season finale in his rookie year) and rarely misses practice unless coaches hold him back as a precaution. He has seven interceptions in his three seasons and ranks seventh in the NFL with 10 pass breakups in 2023. He is reliable, prepares consistently and has improved every season in the league.

With this deal, the Broncos get a franchise-level player at one of the most important positions on defense. They can now build around Surtain in the lineup and create a long-term game plan without any “maybes” regarding his contractual future.

Joseph said one of his goals this season is to use an improved defensive line, which includes new additions John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach, to put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks so they can't intentionally avoid Surtain as often as they have in the past.

Teams have often moved their best receiver away from Surtain after one or two snaps early in the game. Joseph said, “We have to do a better job as coaches of making sure the quarterbacks can't just say, 'I'm not going after him' … We want him near the ball, even if they don't want to.”

What does this mean for the Broncos' salary cap, both now and in the future?

When the Broncos made the historic decision to end the Russell Wilson experiment after just 30 games and a monstrous contract extension, they also voluntarily fixed their salary cap for two years. Wilson's firing in March was the biggest financial blow to the Broncos since the league introduced the salary cap in 1994.

The $85 million was put on the books for the next two seasons – this and 2025 – with $53 million coming this year. That has limited the Broncos' ability to build their roster from the outside, despite having the league's largest checkbook and being held by the league's richest ownership group.

After being aggressive in the free-agent market in 2023, the Broncos took a far more cautious approach this time around, with safety Brandon Jones (three years, $20 million) the only player brought in from elsewhere on a contract longer than two years and worth more than $9 million in total.

They structured Surtain's contract to overcome that cash crunch. The extension won't officially take effect in terms of contract years and base salary until the 2026 season, when the Broncos have overcome their salary cap constraints due to Wilson's firing.

Surtain, for his part, will receive a lot of money in the coming months, including nearly $40 million in the next calendar year. But this deal is good for both sides, and the Broncos will have fully overcome the damage of Wilson by the time the first year of Surtain's contract extension begins.

What is Denver's next priority after the deal closes?

Surtain was by far the biggest, most important and most pressing free agent question for the team.

With the deal in place, the Broncos can now focus on strengthening a roster that still needs a lot of work, as the team was a great catalyst for change during its eight-year playoff drought.

Sean Payton is the team's fourth head coach since the end of the 2021 season, including interim coach Jerry Rosburg. Rookie Bo Nix will be the 14th player overall to start a game at center since the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 at the end of the 2015 season.

Tackle Garett Bolles, the team's first-round pick in the 2017 draft and now the Broncos' longest-tenured player following the release of safety Justin Simmons last offseason, is the most notable free agent heading into next offseason. Bolles turns 33 next May, but was a mainstay on one of the league's most expensive offensive lines — four of the Broncos' six highest salary-cap deals this year come from the offensive line.

Backup quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, acquired in a trade from the New York Jets in April, are also set to be unrestricted free agents after the season, so the Broncos have decisions to make on the quarterback depth chart that will help with Nix's development.