If you are looking for the template of how and when to pay your very best players, right now, it’s the Denver Broncos who are head and shoulders above every other team in the NFL.
That point was underlined on Friday after the Houston Texans signed superstar edge rusher Will Anderson to a 3-year, $150 million contract extension that included $134 million in guaranteed money and an average annual salary of $50 million per year.
Anderson’s deal came less than 1 year after the Broncos signed edge rusher Nik Bonitto to a 4-year, $106 million contract with $70 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $26.5 million.
It’s remarkable because the Broncos are now paying essentially half as much for a player with almost identical stats to Anderson, with Bonitto having the edge in many key categories.
“Nik Bonitto makes nearly HALF of Will Anderson Jr’s new deal per year,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account. “Bonitto already a TREMENDOUS value for the Broncos.”
Broncos Did Same Thing With Patrick Surtain
It’s not the 1st time in recent years the Broncos have paid 1 of their superstars at the earliest opportunity, then watched it pay off quickly.
In September 2024, the Broncos signed cornerback Patrick Surtain II to a 4-year, $96 million contract extension with $77.5 million in guaranteed money to go with $24 million in average annual salary.
Just 1 year later, and after Surtain was named 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, his contract already seemed like a steal — and now seems like it almost needs to be re-done.
Surtain, inarguably still the NFL’s elite cover cornerback, is now the NFL’s 6th highest paid player at his position, and the total value of his contract is a full $28 million less than the 4-year, $124 million contract signed by Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie in March 2026.
Tale of the Tape: Nik Bonitto vs. Will Anderson
Looking closer at the stats for Bonitto and Anderson show 2 players having almost identical careers over the last 2 seasons (2024 and 2025):
- Sacks: Bonitto (27.5)/Anderson (23)
- TFL: Anderson (36)/Bonitto (30)
- QB Hits: Bonitto (52)/Anderson (42)
- Tackles: Bonitto (94)/Anderson (91)
It’s also worth pointing out that Bonitto was a 2nd round pick (No. 64 overall) in the 2022 NFL draft, and the Broncos got massive production from him while he was still on his 4-year, $5.8 million contract.
To get Anderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Texans had to trade their 2023 1st round pick (No. 12 overall) and 2023 2nd round pick (No. 33 overall), along with their 2024 1st round pick and 2024 3rd round pick to the Arizona Cardinals.
Anderson’s rookie contract was a 4-year, $35.21 million deal.
Bonitto can also do something Anderson can’t really do at an elite level — drop into pass coverage at a moment’s notice.
Bonitto has finished in the Top 5 in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting each of the last 2 seasons — even if he wasn’t even named NFL All-Pro in 2025 in a gross oversight.
“Young, athletic, upside, speed rusher, can impact game … very productive overall,” 1 anonymous AFC executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler about Bonitto in July 2025.
Broncos Praised for ‘Tremendous Value’ After Record-Setting $150 Million Contract