There is something so unique about Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II that sometimes, when we see his film or see his ability in action, it almost seems too good to be true.
The latest example came when Surtain, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, squared off with reining Triple Crown winner and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who led the NFL in receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns in 2024.
Surtain and the Broncos came away with a 28-3 win and evened their record at 2-2.
The Bengals came away looking like they need of a new quarterback after backup Jake Browning fell flat for a second consecutive week in place of Joe Burrow.
And it all starts with Surtain.
From NextGen Stats: “Patrick Surtain II allowed one reception for 8 yards across 13 coverage matchups with Ja’Marr Chase, including 0 receptions on 10 matchups in man coverage. Surtain has now matched up against Chase on 54 career routes and allowed 4 receptions for 35 yards.”
Chase and Higgins will earn a combined $276 million.
Money doesn’t equal happiness 😔💔
Surtain Put Clamps Down on Chase … Again
There hasn’t been a cornerback in the NFL who has slowed Chase down in recent years — save for Surtain.
“LOCKDOWN: Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II SHUT DOWN Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase,” ML Football wrote on its official X account. “One total target. One total catch. 23 total yards. Zero touchdowns. Chase’s two worst performances of his career have been against Surtain. LOCKDOWN. CB1.”
“He’s the Defensive Player of the Year for a reason,” Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto told reporters after the game. “He makes our job a whole lot easier up front … I mean that’s every week. That’s what he do.”
Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci compared Surtain to the greatest cornerback in NFL history.
“We’ve never seen this type of matchup before, with the league’s Triple Crown receiving leader against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year,” Mariucci said on NFL GameDay before kickoff. ” … This remind me back when I was coaching when I had Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders was covering him.”
Surtain’s dominant performance seemed to boil over on the Bengals sideline when Chase, the NFL’s highest paid wide receiver with a 4-year, $161 million contract, seemed to have a confrontation with head coach Zac Taylor.
Even in terms of NFL riches, the gap between Surtain and Chase is significant. Chase makes almost double Surtain’s annual salary of $24.5 million and his contract is worth exactly $65 million more than Surtain’s.
Surtain’s DPOY Season Something to Behold
Surtain’s lockdown performance against Chase might be one of his first pieces of evidence to making the case for him to repeat as NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2024, Surtain allowed just 351 receiving yards, total, in 16 games. He only allowed over 30 receiving yards in a single game twice, with a season high 45 yards against the Bengals in Week 17.
Surtain was perhaps the most no-brainer No. 1 pick among all NFL players when it came to ESPN’s annual preseason position rankings.
“Surtain’s grip on the top spot was stronger this time around, as he earned nearly 90% of the first-place votes compared to slightly above 50% last summer,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 17. “He has clearly separated himself from the field.”
$96 Million Broncos Star Patrick Surtain II Makes Statement With ‘Lockdown’ Performance