The Denver Broncos have made a decision on Pat Surtain II and his fifth-year option and frankly, it's not a surprising one. The team has chosen to exercise that option and that will pay him $19.8 million for the 2025 season.
As the team turns its sights to the 2024 NFL Draft, many of the rumors regarding the status of Surtain can be put to rest. At the top of that list is the idea that Surtain will be put in a package so that the team can move up in the first round.
Let's be clear. Moving up should not be in the cards for this team right now but the thought was that the price to do so could be so steep that Surtain could included in order for a team like the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 or the New England Patriots at No. 3 to have an offer they simply could not refuse.
The Broncos need a quarterback perhaps more than any team in the NFL going into this draft, despite the recent trade for former first-round pick Zach Wilson. But trading up in a deal where you would be packaging the best player on your roster should be avoided at all costs.
Thanks to this recent news, it likely will be.
Patrick Surtain is now fully guaranteed $19.802M for the 2025 season. He's on track to become the next highest paid CB in #NFL history ($21M+ per year, $70M+ guaranteed) whenever a multi-year extension comes to fruition. https://t.co/b4PD3h2cxM
— Spotrac (@spotrac) April 23, 2024
It's entirely possible that Surtain could still be traded. Teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers have long been connected to the Pro Bowl corner. The Broncos moving him is unlikely, but not impossible.
But at least as it relates to the team popping into the top five of the first round on Thursday night, those talks can stop.
The next step for the Broncos will be to get a long-term deal done with Surtain and that will be one that likely makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
