ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II had quite an eventful day, becoming the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history and earning his first captainship as a pro on Wednesday.
“Signed, sealed, delivered,” Surtain said through a smile after signing his four-year contract extension worth $96 million, including $77.5 million in guarantees.
Surtain called the contract extension “a huge burden off my shoulders.”
“I’m honestly just very relieved. Just to be able to sign and seal that deal is a blessing,” Surtain said. “(And) being a captain for this team means a lot. It shows how much this organization believes in me, this team believes in me and I don’t take that for granted.”
Surtain’s $24 million-per-year average vaults him past Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. ($21.025 million) and Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander ($21 million) as the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.
“It means a lot,” Surtain said. “But at the end of the day, I just focus on doing the best I can do on the field, being the best version of myself each and every day.”
That approach has allowed Surtain to record 187 tackles, seven interceptions and three dozen pass breakups in his three seasons in Denver since the Broncos selected him with the ninth overall pick out of Alabama in the 2021 NFL draft.
Earlier this year, the Broncos exercised their fifth-year option on Surtain, guaranteeing him $19.802 million in 2025. He’s due about $3.5 million this season.
The new deal begins in 2026 and keeps Surtain in Denver through the 2029 season.
The Broncos, who embarked this week on a $175 million makeover of their suburban headquarters, could have waited another year to secure Surtain’s services, but chose to do so now instead as their star heads into his fourth year.
“I think both sides felt really good about the timing,” coach Sean Payton said. “We went ahead and did it. It’s securing a real young talented player that is at a position that’s hard to find.”
A cornerstone cornerback is a boon for any team, especially one that will rely heavily on its defense as it works through the growing pains that accompany a rookie quarterback like Denver is doing in 2024.
“It presents a lot of challenges,” Payton said. “And it actually can give the defense some freedom relative to how they want to support the run. They’re just hard to find. It’s probably one of the harder positions to play in our league. It does create matchup problems offensively but just as importantly — more importantly — it allows you some flexibility on defense to do things that maybe you couldn’t normally do if you don’t have someone of that caliber.”
Surtain was elected a captain by his teammates along with receiver Courtland Sutton, guard Quinn Meinerz, quarterback Bo Nix, linebacker Alex Singleton and kicker Wil Lutz.
Nix is the first Broncos rookie to be named a captain heading into a season opener since Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little in 1967.
“It’s a first for me,” Payton said. “I think it’s a credit to him and I think his teammates felt that he belonged in that position.”
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