Why Broncos’ now-handsomely paid defense welcomes pressure of expectation: “We have to take advantage”

Nik Bonittos confidence flagged and eventually failed.Starting over could have felt like a fresh beginning, except he wasnt so sure an incoming coaching staff would want to build with him.So when defensive coordinator Vance Joseph summoned Bonitto to his office in early 2023 ahead of his second NFL season, Bonitto assumed the worst.I doubted myself individually, Bonitto said Wednesday.Instead, what he got was a pep talk and a vote of confidence from Joseph, newly hired by Sean Payton to help resuscitate a franchise languishing in the doldrums.Hes just like, Nik, I know you can be a double-digit sack guy in this league, Bonitto recalled.

Im like, Are you sure you brought the right guy in here? I just had a one-sack season.

Well, 1.5 sacks, to be precise.

But the talented 2022 second-round pick had mostly been an afterthought during his rookie season.Two years later, Bonitto is himself a perfect avatar for the powerhouse group Joseph coordinates.

Once an underperforming, relatively unknown commodity and afterthought beyond the Front Range, Bonitto is now all the things that also describe Denvers defense: Homegrown, powerful, disruptive, shouldering massive 2025 expectations, and newly expensive.When Bonitto signed a four-year, $106 million extension Thursday, it served as an exclamation point on an offseason spent doubling down on and adding to the 2024 group that exploded onto the scene as one of the NFLs best.Now theyre a known quantity.

Theyre marked men, circled by every offense on their schedule as a group that needs to be taken seriously and a measuring stick by which opponents will measure themselves.In a city where franchise quarterbacks become princes and Super Bowl-winning coaches are hailed forever, much of the conversation the past seven months has centered on Bo Nix and Sean Payton.

If the Broncos are to mount a real challenge for the Lombardi Trophy come February, though, its a once-fired former Denver head coach and his group that are going to power the run.Expectations are high, but I dont know if anybody fans or anybody outside of this building could have higher expectations than we have for ourselves, defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers told The Denver Post.

Were the ones that are out there, and we have an obligation, and we feel its so important to do it for ourselves.

It cant be done without the fans and media and everybody else having expectations, and we understand that, but expectations are a good thing.John Franklin-Myers (98) of the Denver Broncos celebrates his sack of Lamar Jackson (8) of the Baltimore Ravens with teammate Malcolm Roach (97) during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, Nov.

3, 2024.

(Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)No-names no moreIn October 2024, the Broncos defense was off to a flying start.It came out of left field for multiple reasons.

First, Denvers 2023 unit in Payton and Josephs first year was bad, particularly early in the season when they got rung up by Washington at home and embarrassed by Miami and Chicago on the road.

The group played better as the season progressed, but Denver finished near the bottom of the league against the run and rushing the passer.Not only that, but Pat Surtain II was the Broncos only first-round pick and really their only marquee player.A dominant 2024 campaign changed all of that.Surtain led the way, of course, winning defensive player of the year and being named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.Bonitto and defensive tackle Zach Allen each were named second-team All-Pros.

Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper got a four-year, $54 million extension midseason.The Broncos finished at the top of the league in sacks a franchise-record 63 and pressures, and also proved to be one of the best run-stopping units in football.When the season ended, Payton and Paton could have re-tooled the personnel on defense or let a couple of key contributors go.

Instead, they re-signed nose tackle D.J.

Jones to a three-year, $39 million deal on the eve of free agency.Time is everything, Jones said this week.

The more time you spend together, the more you gel, the more you mesh, the more you learn your teammates.

Bringing back the same guys after what we did last year was big.

Thats kudos to George and his group.Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J.

Jones (93) during training camp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit in Centennial on Friday, July 25, 2025.

(Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)Related ArticlesBroncos WR room in good hands with Courtland Sutton, an improvement thief, leading the wayHow Broncos DL coach Jamar Cain helped guide Nik Bonitto from Oklahoma struggles to Denver paydayBroncos scouting report: How Denver matches up with Cam Ward, Titans in Week 1Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach suffers calf strain, sources sayBroncos, Nik Bonitto agree on four-year, $106 million contract extensionPaton and company didnt stop there, though.

They kept adding.They landed free agent safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency, then drafted cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round and followed it up with defensive lineman SaiVion Jones in the third and outside linebacker Que Robinson in the fourth.Now, the defense features two first-round picks, the reigning DPOY, four players who have earned All-Pro honors in their career, and a pair of freshly minted $100 million men in Allen and Bonitto.That, to me, is the biggest excitement when you talk about, well, we were one of the best defenses last year, Franklin-Myers said.

Where do you go from here? We finished first in sacks last year, but theres just meat left on the bone, and for us its just us knowing the type of team we have, the defense we have, the players.Theres just no reason for us to not be the most dominant defense, and were going to work and try our hardest to be that.Premium price tagsSigning Allen and Bonitto to long-term deals over the past month solidifies a defensive corps for years to come alongside Surtain, Cooper and Barron.It also all but assures Denvers defense wont be cheap anytime in the near future, either.The Broncos, suddenly, have a high-priced unit under Josephs command.They are tied for the NFL lead with seven defensive players who carry an average annual contract value of $10 million or more, according to OvertheCap data.

They are one of only five teams with a $10 million-plus player at each of five defensive positions: interior defensive line, edge, inside linebacker, cornerback and safety.

They feature three players with deals worth $95 million or more in Bonitto ($106 million), Allen ($102 million) and Surtain ($96 million).

The only other team with more than two is Baltimore (four).Over the past 52 weeks, the Broncos have given four-year extensions to Bonitto, Allen, Surtain and Cooper totaling $358 million and featuring more than $223 million guaranteed.Zach Allen (99) of the Denver Broncos stretches with teammates during training camp at Broncos Park in Centennial on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

(Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)The Broncos have spent aggressively to fortify a unit thats been built through a combination of homegrown players like Surtain, Cooper, Bonitto, starting DBs Riley Moss and JaQuan McMillian, and free-agent hits like Allen, Malcolm Roach, inside linebacker Alex Singleton and safety Brandon Jones.But they also cant pay everybody long-term.

At present, theyve got Franklin-Myers, Roach and Singleton heading into contract years.Like a number of our players in the final year of their deals, wed like to have them all back, Paton said recently when asked about Franklin-Myers.

Johns no different.

We have a number of players, and its a puzzle, kind of like your roster management, like the 53-man.The Broncos sit in the enviable position of having the wealthiest owners in the NFL in the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group, but at some point, cap considerations do arrive for everybody.This group knows it likely will not be fully intact after the 2025 season.Its pretty rare and its really cool, Allen said of the continuity.

Look at Philly, a really good defense, guys have a really good year, and usually guys are getting poached and everything like that.

For us, free agency timed up pretty well where we were able to not lose too many guys and keep the band together and just add.It was really cool to see, and guys realize that we have to take advantage of it.At long lastThe Broncos also know the reality of life in the AFC.The road to the Super Bowl goes through Kansas City.

And if not the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, then Josh Allen and Buffalo or Lamar Jackson and Baltimore.

Joe Burrows got two of the best receivers on the planet.

There are a host of other talented offenses and quarterbacks in the conference, too.But this group thinks it stacks up with anybody.Where the Ravens shredded them last November, they added key free agents.Where they faded a bit in December, the depth has been fortified.Now the 2025 tour begins Sunday at home against Tennessee.The Broncos can play big or small.

They can play two-down or with three or four defensive linemen.

They can play nickel with three corners or three safeties, two inside linebackers or none.

They could play four outside linebackers in a pass-rush group or five cornerbacks.They might not have a ton of snaps early in the season for corner Kris Abrams-Draine or maybe even for Barron, but the 17-game regular-season nearly always tests your depth.

Already, the early-season injury statuses of Roach and Greenlaw require monitoring.Overall, the Broncos have the flexibility to play however Joseph sees the path to victory that particular week.That is the benefit of how theyve put this team together, Franklin-Myers said.

The role players, the starters and the stars we have.

It gives us that freedom to kind of be able to do everything.

So youre not always in one place, and they know how to attack you.

Now they have to learn how to attack you in 12 different ways rather than one way.

...Thats what weve perfected or are on the way to perfecting.

Just making sure we know exactly and were understanding what VJ wants from the defense, what the calls are for, and thats helping us.Still, theres little room for error.

Particularly in an AFC West featuring the nine-time defending divisional champion Chiefs, quarterback Justin Herbert in Los Angeles and a young, fun Las Vegas offense.Last year matters, but it doesnt count.

Expectations are fine as long as they dont creep toward assumption.

Confidence is critical, but overconfidence is a killer.Its tricky because we should be good, Joseph said.

But you have to work to be good.

...

To be good, you have to have players, and weve got the right players in the right spots.

Weve got a good scheme.

Guys play hard.

We have the right pieces in the right positions.

But in this league, every play matters, and someone can fall off, someone can miss a tackle, and now you go from giving up 21 to giving up 28.So its a fine line.Pat Surtain II (2) of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after the fourth quarter of the Broncos 30-9 win over the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Saturday, Aug.

9, 2025.

(Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)Its a group that embraces the pressure.

Theyre expected to be elite, and now theyre paid like it.

They should have a quality offense to pair with, but they cannot afford much of a lull.You look at the defenses that are feared, and were at that point and trying to get to that point even more, Franklin-Myers said.

Ultimately, its how hard they play.

Its the physicality and the effort with which you play.

I dont give a (crap) what offense is across from you.

It dont matter because the person across from you aint willing to go that hard for that long.

Thats how you win, you ask me.You ask a good defense Ive been a part of a few of them our opponent just wasnt willing to match our effort and intensity.

Thats what were creating here.

Thats what we have here.Invested in defenseDenver is tied for the NFL lead with seven defensive players who carry an average annual contract value of $10 million or more, according to OvertheCap data.

Here are those players:PlayerContract valuePer YearGuaranteedOLB Nik Bonitto$106 million$26.5 million$70 millionDT Zach Allen$102 million$25.5 million$69.5 millionCB Pat Surtain II$96 million$24 million$77.5 millionOLB Jonathon Cooper$54 million$13.5 million$31.7 millionDT D.J.

Jones$39 million$13 million$26 millionS Talanoa Hufanga$39 million$13 million$20 millionILB Dre Greenlaw$31.5 million$10.5 million$13.5 millionSource: OvertheCap.com | Click here to view chart in mobile.

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