General manager George Paton revealed on Tuesday that the Denver Broncos intend to exercise standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II‘s fifth-year contract option before the May 2 deadline, calling it “one of the easier decisions we’ll make.”. Paton said,
“Pat is going to be here,” “Obviously we value Pat, and we’ll see where that goes. We’ll work on that. I would say it’s pretty close. That’s an easy one. That’s one of the easier decisions we’ll make.”
Surtain, the ninth overall selection in the 2021 draft, is firmly established as one of the league’s top players at his position after being selected to two Pro Bowls and being named to the All-Pro team in his first three seasons.
What does it mean financially for Surtain ?
Despite playing 99.2% of the defensive snaps, he led the Broncos in pass deflections (12) and solo tackles (59), finishing third in the league. Surtain, who turns 24 next month, will only receive a basic salary of $1.055 million for the 2024 campaign. When his option is formally picked up, that amount will soar to around $19.8 million in 2025, 100% guaranteed.
Assuming, of course, that Denver either deals him this offseason as part of a blockbuster deal or, in a less likely scenario, doesn’t extend him by then.
On January 9, Paton stated, “We want Pat here for a long time. We’re all big fans of Pat.”