It’s going to be a spendy September for the Denver Broncos.
In an upcoming 3-day stretch from September 8 to September 10, the Broncos are scheduled to pay out an incredible $36.96 million in option bonuses to 3 stars: wide receiver Courtland Sutton ($12 million), center Luke Wattenberg ($9.785 million), and NFL All-Pro defensive end Zach Allen ($15.185 million).
Each of those contracts now looks like a steal. Particularly, the 4-year, $92 million contract extension signed by Sutton in July 2025.
Sutton, who is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2024 and 2025, has seen his reliability and steady nature put in stark perspective over the last week. That came after another AFC West team’s top receiver option, Kansas City Chiefs star Rashee Rice, had to turn himself in on May 19 for a month in jail after violating his felony probation for a hit-and-run street racing crash in 2024 by testing positive for marijuana.
“If we’re talking pure statistical facts, let’s look at scheme reliance,” Bronco Fanatic wrote on their official X account. “Rice’s entire game is reliant on a generational QB manufacturing his touches near the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, Sutton has been making impossible contested catches in double coverage for years, and he’s been the safety blanket for Bo Nix‘s development these last two seasons. Sutton helps his offense; Rice just benefits from his.”
You can argue that Allen is just as valuable.
Wattenberg, maybe not so much.
Luke Wattenberg Cashed Out in 2025
Wattenberg, 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, went from a 5th-round pick (No. 171 overall) in the 2022 NFL draft to 1 of the NFL’s highest-paid players at his position when he signed a 4-year, $48 million contract extension in November 2025.
After spending his 1st 2 seasons as the backup to Lloyd Cushenberry, Wattenberg stepped into the starting role for the Broncos in 2024 after they selected Nix in the 1st round, and the team has become 1 of the NFL’s best. With Wattenberg snapping the ball to Nix, Denver has made 2 consecutive playoff appearances after missing for 8 consecutive seasons.
There’s just been 1 problem — he seems to be chronically injured.
Wattenberg has gone on injured reserve each of the last 2 seasons, missing 4 regular-season games with an ankle injury in 2024 and 2 games with a shoulder injury in 2025. That doesn’t include sitting out last season’s AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills.
When he’s able to play, though, Wattenberg is pretty good — his 70.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025 put him 9th out of 40 eligible NFL centers.
Zach Allen: Worth Price of Admission
Similar to Sutton, Allen’s 4-year, $102 million contract extension, signed in August 2025, already seems like a steal.
Allen, 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, has earned NFL All-Pro honors each of the last 2 seasons and might be the NFL’s most underrated defensive player.
In 3 seasons with the Broncos, Allen has started all but 1 regular-season game and over the last 2 seasons has 15.5 sacks, 19 TFL, and an incredible 87 QB hits.
Allen is good enough that fellow interior defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers leaving Denver for a 3-year, $63 million free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans hasn’t seemed to impact the Broncos’ Super Bowl chances.
Broncos Face Almost $40 Million in Bonus Payments Over 3 Days