Broncos Star Edge Rusher Nik Bonitto Told to Bet on Himself in Hunt for New Contract
The Denver Broncos had one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2024. They allowed the third-fewest points and seventh-fewest yards per game in the NFL, and were buoyed by a pass-rush that generated 63 sacks in the regular season — the most in the NFL.
Advertisement
A catalyst for the Broncos' success up front was edge rusher Nik Bonitto. The former 2022 second-round pick had a career-high 13.5 sacks in the regular season, the third-most in the league, and earned a Second-Team All-Pro nomination for the first time. Bonitto is a free agent after the 2025 season, and one NFL analyst had some key advice heading into a big year.
Appearing on the 'DNVR Broncos Podcast', NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger joined the show to discuss whether or not the Broncos should pay Bonitto this offseason and offered some insight on the situation.
Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) celebrates his sack.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
'It's all business. He's put two real good years back-to-back. I would say the breakout came in 23, but certainly last year.' Baldinger said, before highlighting that as Bonitto's play grows, so does the attention that offenses give to stopping him. 'The chips that are coming, the slides that are coming, all of those things are now going to be coming Nik's way.'
Advertisement
As much as Baldinger hyped up Bonitto, he pointed out the fact that nothing comes for free in the NFL now. 'Teams aren't just going to throw you the top money at the edge rushing position, they're going to make you fight for it. Most teams are like that.' And that's the way the NFL works. Extensions have to be earned at the top level, especially when big money is being thrown around. The Broncos know Bonitto and his talent, but he has to keep working.
However, Baldinger notably added this, 'I always feel like players should bet on themselves.' That's key. If Bonitto wants to be paid by the Broncos this season, he has to carry on being the player that got him into this position. He knows his worth, as does everyone who watched him dominate on the field in 2024.
Losing Bonitto would be a blow to a Broncos team that is vying for the playoffs once again after finishing with a 10-7 record in 2024, and making the postseason for the first time since 2015. A deal might not be too far away, especially if Bonitto continues to bet on himself.
Related: Broncos General Manager Reveals Real Feelings on Sean Payton
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
34 minutes ago
- Fox News
Rep. Nunn: Trump was 'ecstatic' about passage of tax-cutting megabill
All times eastern Legends & Lies: The Patriots Legends & Lies: The Patriots Legends & Lies: The Patriots FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bronny James, Dalton Knecht ready for second summer with Lakers
Guard Dalton Knecht enters his second summer with the Lakers, who open play on Saturday in the California Classic at Chase Center in San Francisco. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Bronny James stood with his back to the wall with both hands buried in his workout shorts, his practice with the Lakers summer league team complete, his voice sounding more confident now that he's entering his second season in the NBA. He had to endure the outsized pressure and criticism of playing last season with his superstar father, LeBron James, a season in which Bronny and his dad made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game. Advertisement Now, Bronny is more assured about his talents and he'll get to showcase what he's worked on when the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic on Saturday in San Francisco. The Lakers will play three games there and then head to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League. That is where the most anticipated summer game could take place because the Lakers open the action against Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, and the Dallas Mavericks on July 10. Like all last season, James knows a lot of people will pay attention to that game — to him, still, and to Flagg. Read more: Hernández: Can LeBron James help maddening Deandre Ayton transform into a reliable center? Advertisement 'Last year it was a crazy environment for me to step in and produce right off the rip, like being nervous too,' Bronny said. 'So, I feel like this year, I'll be able to go out and play freely and know what I'm gonna go out and do for me and my teammates. So, yeah, I'm just really excited to be able to play nervous-free.' Dalton Knecht got some extra shots up after practice Wednesday, his stroke looking just as impressive as it did last season when he shot 37.6% from three-point range during his rookie season with the Lakers. Knecht, too, is especially looking forward to playing in Las Vegas. 'Vegas, I mean, I feel like all of us didn't care who we played [last summer],' Knecht said. 'It was just go out there and play. Our fans always show up. We go out there all the time and it's pretty much Laker fans that sell out that arena and show us so much love. We're just trying to go out there and try to put on a show no matter who we are playing.' Advertisement Lakers rookie Adou Thiero, their second-round pick (36th overall) out of Arkansas whom they acquired in a trade with the Timberwolves, is dealing with a left knee injury and will not play this summer. The Lakers said Thiero is in the final stages of his return to play and expected to be fully cleared for training camp. For James, one year of playing in the NBA has made a difference as he approaches this summer. He appeared in 27 games last season, starting once, and averaged 2.3 points per game on 31.3% shooting, 28.1% from three-point range. 'Yeah, it's definitely some more excitement than nervousness, for sure,' James said. 'I'm just ready to go out there and play and be better than I was the last time I was playing. Just having that mindset of being ready to play and ready for whatever's thrown at me, no matter the role, what I gotta do on defense, offense, everything. Being a good teammate for my new summer league team, stuff like that.' Advertisement Besides skill work, James said his plan for the summer is to be in 'elite condition' and to 'be disruptive on the defensive end.' 'So that's my main focus, probably why I'm getting a little leaner,' he said. 'But I still got 215 [pounds] on me still. So, I'm just running a lot, getting a lot of conditioning in. And then just staying on top of my diet, eating healthy, being a professional. It's just Year 2, so I gotta lock in on the things that I didn't know before my rookie year and being better and excel with that. Yeah, my main focus is this year, or this summer, has been being in elite condition. That's what I've been talking to my coaches about.' Knecht played in 78 games last season, averaging 9.1 points over 19.2 minutes per game. As the season progressed, Knecht said the game slowed down for him and that allowed him to improve. Advertisement When the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Timberwolves, Knecht said he went to work right away. In his eyes, there was no time to waste. 'Right after the [playoff] loss, I pretty much started right away. Didn't take much time off,' he said. 'So I was getting in the gym, starting at 6 a.m., going with the guys at 10 and then coming back later at night just to get as many shots as I can, just working on my game and my cuts.' Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maryland will host the 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open. Here's what to know.
The newest United States Golf Association championship is coming to Maryland for the first time. Woodmont Country Club in Rockville will host the fourth U.S. Adaptive Open Championship starting Monday and lasting through Wednesday. Here's what you need to know about the unique event's first visit to Maryland. Advertisement What is the U.S. Adaptive Open? The championship, which began in 2022, showcases the world's best golfers with disabilities. There are eight impairment categories included in the event: Upper limb impairment Lower limb impairment Multiple limb amputee Vision impairment Intellectual impairment Coordination impairment Seated players Short stature To enter, golfers need a World Ranking for Golfers with Disability pass. The process of receiving a pass involves certification, confirming that a player has an impairment that severely impacts their ability to play golf. The end result of the qualification process is one of the most inspiring golf tournaments in the world. 'I feel like I've learned a lot more inspiring stories than mine,' joked Cassie Sengul, a 19-year-old Virginian with cerebral palsy. 'It's really cool to see how everybody can play and adapt to the game. We all want to see each other win. It's really special to see.' Advertisement Sengul competed in the 2024 championship, and she's back in 2025 as a rising sophomore competing at Drew University in New Jersey. She's one of 96 players who qualified into the field, which had 260 tournament applicants. When is the tournament? The tournament begins on Monday and will run through Wednesday, with practice rounds this weekend. Here's the full schedule of events for the week: Saturday, practice round Sunday, practice round Monday, Round 1 Tuesday, Round 2 Wednesday, Round 3 There will be a 36-hole cut after Tuesday's round, trimming the field to the top 20 and ties for men and top 10 and ties for women. Additionally, the top three men and ties and top two women and ties from each impairment category will advance to Wednesday's final round of play. Any player within five strokes of their impairment category leader will also move onto Wednesday's third round. Advertisement Where is the tournament? Woodmont Country Club's South Course will play host to the tournament, with four sets of tees in play — it's the only USGA championship that utilizes different sets of tees for participants. The shortest tees will play 4,402 yards, while the longest set of tees will play 6,429 yards. The South Course was redesigned in 2023 by Joel Weiman, and it presents players with a unique test of golf. The course's redesign was completed with accessibility in mind. During the event, pin placements will be in accessible areas of greens, ensuring players in the field don't have difficulty moving near the hole. Bunkers on the course all have 'sand ramps' into them, ensuring that all players can access the hazard without needing to step up or down. The course's bunkering looks more like what you'd see in Australia compared to a typical U.S. course, with bunkers often cutting directly into greens rather than being separated with an area of rough. Advertisement The 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open marks the second time Woodmont will host a USGA Championship. The venue hosted the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur. Woodmont will also host the 2026 U.S. Adaptive Open. The first two U.S. Adaptive Opens were held in North Carolina, and the 2024 event took place in Kansas. Can I buy tickets or watch on TV? Admission into the tournament is free and fans don't need tickets to enter. For those attending in person, parking is available on site at 1201 Rockville Pike in Rockville. Because of limited parking, tournament officials encourage carpooling and ride sharing. For the first time, the final round of the championship will also air live on TV. From 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Golf Channel will broadcast the final round of the tournament. Golf Channel will feature highlights and live look-ins from the event during the first two rounds. Advertisement The USGA will also have coverage of the event, including live scoring and video highlights available on Related Articles Who's in the field? The field consists of 96 players, including three Marylanders — Vince Biser (Towson, coordination impairment), Jack Bonifant (Sandy Spring, coordination impairment), and Ford Martin (Potomac, coordination impairment). The three Maryland natives are among the best players in the field, with Martin and Bonifant finishing fifth and 11th in the 2024 event, respectively. Biser, a 37 year old who swings one-handed, is a 3.5 handicap who regularly scores in the 70s. Advertisement Bonifant played collegiately at James Madison University, and the 35 year old is a +0.2 handicap. Martin, 32, hits the ball well over 300 yards off the tee with a 120 mph swing speed, and he's listed as a +0.6 handicap. In his second year in the event, Martin hopes lessons learned from 2024 will lead to him winning the 2025 men's championship. Martin, who now lives in Tennessee but maintains a membership at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, has worked hard on his wedge game in advance of the championship. He's eager to showcase his improving skillset in his home state. 'It means everything,' Martin said. 'It's as close to a home game as I could possibly have. Growing up in Maryland and still having my family here, it means the world just to be able to represent and hopefully play well.' Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@ 410-332-6200 and
