George Paton wants to keep key Broncos defensive pieces in Denver long-term
Feb 26, 2025, 1:53 PM
The Denver Broncos had one of the top defenses in the NFL for the majority of the 2024 season thanks to a talented pass rush and strong defensive line. The team tallied 63 sacks, tied for the 14th best total in a single season in NFL history. As is with every offseason that comes and goes, all the heads turn to the looming free agents on any given team. For the Broncos this year, DJ Jones’ contract is expired while Nik Bonitto just has one year left on his.
The two were key components of the Broncos front, with Bonitto posting 13.5 sacks and scoring two touchdowns and Jones racking up 42 total tackles for Vance Joseph’s stellar defense. General manager George Paton was asked about the possibility of inking new contracts with them at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.
Jones was one of the most underrated pieces of Denver’s defense last season. Non-superstar interior lineman are generally overlooked in the NFL, but Paton knows the value he brings to the rotation on the Broncos’ front line. His previous contract, signed in 2022, was $20.5 million over three years.
“We really like DJ [Jones],” said Paton. “We’d love to have him back and we’ll have those [contract] conversations.”
For Bonitto, who was in Defensive Player of the Year talks in December, he is now extension eligible. After the strides he made in 2024 to elevate Denver’s pass rush, keeping him in Denver needs to be a priority for the Broncos’ front office.
“Nik obviously had a breakout year, he’s a dynamic player, and we want him here a long time,” said Paton.
Bonitto is heading into the final year of his rookie contract in which he is slated to make just over $5 million. Especially with the recently announced salary cap increase of $22.1 million to $26.1 million dollars from 2024 to 2025, it is possible that Bonitto could be a name that resets the edge rusher market in the NFL.
Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers is currently the highest paid EDGE in the league with an annual value of $34 million per year. He is the only player over $29 million annually, so it’s unlikely that Bonitto will fully reset the market, but he should be among the top whenever he gets the new contract signed.
With Denver getting off the Russell Wilson contract after a $32 million dead cap hit in the 2025 season, the team would have plenty of room to pay Bonitto if the two parties can agree on a number.
Another key aspect of the offseason for Paton is searching for a ‘joker’ in the Draft for head coach Sean Payton to utilize in his offseason. If the Broncos can find their joker in the Draft on a rookie contract instead of having to sign a veteran on a big contract, that could save a lot of money that could be used to keep guys like Bonitto in Denver for the long run.
This week, Paton’s focus is on the Combine and evaluating talent that he and the rest of the Broncos organization can use their plethora of draft picks on. Workouts begin on Thursday with the defensive linemen and linebackers.
