ENGLEWOOD, Colo — To no surprise, the Broncos picked up the fifth-year option on cornerback Pat Surtain II for $19.802 million, a source confirmed to 9NEWS.
"That's an easy one,'' Broncos general manager George Paton said at his NFL Combine news conference two months ago. "That's one of the easier decisions we'll make."
The surprise was the timing as the Broncos exercised Surtain's fifth-year option two days before the NFL Draft begins Thursday and not closer to the May 2 option deadline, or five days after the draft.
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The Broncos' No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Surtain, 24, has already established himself as one of the NFL's top corners. He had four interceptions as a rookie, but quarterbacks got a little more careful from there as he had just two interceptions in 2022 and one last year.
He made the Pro Bowl each of the past two years, which bumped his fifth-year option to the highest-possible $19.802 million, which is now fully guaranteed. Surtain will make $3.519 million in 2024 so the Broncos have him under contract for two years at an average of $11.66 million per season.
Still, Surtain said late in the season he wants to get more picks.
“That definitely is the next step in my game, just making more game-changing plays,’’ Surtain said in an interview Jan. 6 with 9NEWS. “It’s hard to do when quarterbacks rarely look your way. The main thing is when my opportunity is called to be able to capitalize and make a play. That’s just that next step. That comes along with experience, film study, understanding tendencies and stuff like that.
“I’m still early on in my career and I know I’ve got a lot more to improve on. I’m very excited to see what happens but that’s something I need to build on, create more interceptions.’’
It's not uncommon for teams to fold such a high, one-year payout for a player into a multiyear contract extension. The NFL's highest-paid cornerback is currently Green Bay's Jaire Alexander, who is making an average of $21 million a year. Surtain figures to be one more Surtain-like season away from eclipsing Alexander, proving the Broncos' cornerback doesn't get his contract extension sometime during the 2024 calendar year.
The Broncos seem secure at the cornerback position overall with Surtain starting at one outside spot, Ja'Quan McMillian at the nickel and veteran Levi Wallace competing with Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis at the other outside position.
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