Latest news with #PatSurtainII
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Broncos' defense embracing lofty expectations after ‘monstrous' additions
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The summer window can close painfully fast in the NFL ecosystem. Just ask Pat Surtain II. One week ago, the star cornerback, the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was in Greece, smoking a cigar with Michael Jordan and other star athletes tied to the Jordan Brand. On Tuesday, Surtain was staring out at the Denver Broncos' training facility, the first practice of his fifth season now just one day away. Advertisement Summer, we hardly knew ya. 'The offseason treated me well. I enjoyed it while I could,' Surtain said with a grin on Tuesday as he and the rest of the team's veterans reported for training camp. 'It went by fast to say the least, but now we're here.' #BroncosCountry LIVE: CB Pat Surtain II meets the media — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 22, 2025 Helping to cushion the jarring return to reality for Surtain and the Broncos is an eagerness to begin what they hope will be a fruitful journey in 2025. The team surprised many across the league last season by winning 10 games and snapping a nine-year playoff drought. Naturally, expectations have grown, no more so than inside Denver's building. 'We've still got a lot of goals to accomplish as a team,' Surtain said. 'We're going to take it day by day in camp, keep sharpening iron and keep getting better.' The arrival at camp was hardly a time for grand proclamations about what the horizon could bring. Veteran right tackle Mike McGlinchey, asked whether Denver has what it needs to pursue a championship this season, offered a gentle reminder: 'We haven't even practiced yet. … We've got a long way to go.' One thing McGlinchey does feel comfortable predicting: the Surtain-powered defense that he and the Bo Nix-led offense are set to face every day in camp is going to provide a massive challenge. Nearly every member of the front seven that produced a team-record 63 sacks in 2024 has returned, including All-Pro selections Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen. They are joined by two new faces in linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, former teammates of McGlinchey's with the San Francisco 49ers. They were signed to shore up what head coach Sean Payton calls the 'spine' of the defense. 'They are monstrous additions for us defensively,' McGlinchey said. 'The two of them bring such an energy. The defensive side of the football is very emotional, an energetic style of play. You can feel Dre Greenlaw when he steps on the field. You can feel Huff when he makes plays in the box or takes a chance on a great interception. Those two are going to help us tremendously this year. I'm happy to be back on the same side as them.' Advertisement Greenlaw missed Denver's offseason program while rehabbing from a quad injury, but Payton previously said the veteran linebacker would be cleared for training camp. The Broncos have 'acclimation' workouts on Wednesday and Thursday before taking the field in front of about 800 fans for their first full camp practice on Friday. A return to San Francisco for a joint practice against the 49ers and the preseason opener to follow come next week. It shouldn't take long then for an idea of just how potent this defensive unit can be to materialize. The Broncos in 2024 led the NFL in efficiency, according to TruMedia's EPA (expected points added) per snap metric. They ranked seventh in yards allowed (317.1 per game), third in red-zone efficiency (46.9 percent opponent touchdown rate) and opponent scoring (18.3 per game). Flaws were exposed late in the season, when injuries to safety P.J. Locke and cornerback Riley Moss revealed a lack of depth in the secondary that was exposed in losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals — and even during a narrow win against the Cleveland Browns. The Broncos responded by adding Hufanga, who was an All-Pro player for a top-ranked 49ers defense in 2022 before dealing with injuries the past two seasons. They used their first-round pick on versatile defensive back Jahdae Barron, who could supplant Ja'Quan McMillian at the nickel spot or fit in elsewhere as something of a Swiss Army knife for coordinator Vance Joseph's defense. 'He's very smart and savvy and understands the game well,' Surtain said of Barron, who signed his rookie contract just before he and the rest of Denver's first-year players arrived at camp last week. 'The coaches move him around to different positions. That's harder to learn coming in as a rookie, especially with VJ's playbook, but it feels like he's handling it pretty well. It seems like he's up to schedule on things, so I'm excited to see what he's going to do.' There are questions about Denver's defense that training camp will help answer, including what Barron's ultimate role will be. Can Moss take another developmental leap after impressing for much of his first season as a starter opposite Surtain? Will rookies Sai'vion Jones and Que Robinson make an early impact to further solidify the team's front-seven depth? Will Greenlaw and fellow starter Alex Singleton, who spent the offseason program rehabbing from last September's ACL injury, form the kind of inside linebacker duo the Broncos haven't had since Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan were patrolling the middle of the team's vaunted 2015 defense? Advertisement The answers will come in time and will go a long way toward determining what kind of ceiling Payton's third team in Denver can have in 2025. The team is expecting a jump out of Nix following an impressive rookie season. But if the Broncos have assembled the kind of defense they think they have, the next month will include some frustrating days for the young quarterback. 'Starting up front with the guys we retained and have coming back for this year, I feel like it's going to be even better, just knowing how much we rush and how much we care about one another,' linebacker Nik Bonitto said. 'And then you go to the back end with the additions of (Hufanga) and all the guys they have back there with (Brandon) Jones, PS2, Jahdae and all these guys. Dre is going to be real good for us, too. I'm just excited.' (Top photo of Pat Surtain: C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Broncos agree to terms with first-round pick Jahdae Barron
First-round cornerback Jahdae Barron will join the Broncos' rookies when they report to training camp Wednesday. He agreed to terms on a four-year, $18.073 million deal late Tuesday night that includes a $9.784 million signing bonus, Mike Klis of 9News reports. Advertisement The Broncos expect to have Barron as their starting slot cornerback on what should be one of the top secondaries in the league with 2024 defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II, Brandon Jones, Riley Moss and Talanoa Hufanga. Barron's agreement leaves Bengals edge rusher Shemar Stewart as the only first-round pick who is without a contract. The Broncos still have to come to terms with running back RJ Harvey, who is one of 30 second-rounders still unsigned. Texans receiver Jayden Higgins, the 34th overall pick, became the first second-round pick ever to receive a fully guaranteed contract. The Browns then had to give linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the 33rd overall pick, a fully guaranteed deal. No other second-round draft pick has signed.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Broncos CB Pat Surtain's plans after winning DPOY: ‘Why not get another one'
PARKER, Colo. — Pat Surtain II rubbed his chin as he briefly considered the question, even though it was one he had already pondered himself. The 25-year-old cornerback won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award six months ago, at the conclusion of his fourth pro season with the Denver Broncos. The honor is part of an early career résumé that has him firmly on a Hall of Fame trajectory, a true lockdown corner in a passer-friendly era. Advertisement So, what's next? 'There's always something out there to do better,' Surtain said before hosting a free camp for 300 kids at Legend High School on a sweltering Saturday morning just outside Denver. 'Why not get another one?' Back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards would put Surtain in rarified air. No player has done it since superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald claimed the honor for the second straight season in 2018. No defensive back has ever claimed the award in consecutive seasons, dating back to the award's inception in 1971. The main reason to believe Surtain could achieve the historic feat resides in his technical mastery of the position. Surtain has been a polished cover corner since the moment he entered the league as a rookie in 2021, and his anticipation skills — like the kind that led to his 100-yard pick six against the Las Vegas Raiders last season — have grown with experience. Another reason why Surtain producing another DPOY season isn't an outlandish thought: The Broncos did significant work this offseason to reconstruct their defense in a way that could make it harder for teams to avoid the superstar cornerback. 'The respect level for Patrick has gone up' across the league, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said during the team's minicamp earlier this month. 'So how we adjust off that is huge.' When the Broncos meticulously broke down their personnel following a season-ending loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs, they found vulnerability in the spine of their defense. Teams were able to funnel elements of their passing game inside too often, particularly on third down, and thus mitigate some of the risk that comes with challenging Surtain. 'The inner triangle,' as head coach Sean Payton calls it, needed to be fortified. Enter three key additions the Broncos believe will do just that: inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga and versatile rookie Jahdae Barron. Advertisement Added to a pass rush that had a team-record 63 sacks in 2024 and returns every key member of the front seven, the three new additions help form what may be the most complete defense Surtain has been a part of since entering the league — at least on paper. Greenlaw, who missed the offseason program while rehabbing a quad injury, and Hufanga join the Broncos with considerable injury histories dating to their time together with the San Francisco 49ers, but both players have been stalwarts for championship-level defenses. 'Those guys are going to come in and bring that winning atmosphere,' said Surtain, who was shut out of the postseason during his first three seasons in Denver. 'They've been to Super Bowls and know how to win at a high level.' Barron, meanwhile, could give the Broncos more of a chaos agent near the line of scrimmage out of the nickel spot. He had 18 1/2 tackles for loss across his last three seasons at Texas. His disruptiveness stems from an ability to diagnose tendencies — not to mention a physical play style for a defensive back who is 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds — that has already impressed veteran teammates. 'He's catching on really well,' Surtain said of Barron, who played corner, nickel, dime and safety spots throughout his college career. 'Obviously, at Texas, he was a smart, savvy player who understands the game. That will translate well into our defense and I'm excited for him.' More from Surtain on what he's eyeing next in his already decorated career — Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) June 28, 2025 The hope for the Broncos is that more well-rounded personnel will force quarterbacks to take more chances in Surtain's direction. Or, conversely, that Surtain's presence will push action elsewhere on a defense that should now be more equipped to benefit from the way Surtain can change the geometry of the game. As long as it all pushes in the direction of Surtain's true post-DPOY ambition, the cornerback isn't much concerned with where the ball is being thrown. Advertisement 'The main goal is to win the Super Bowl,' he said. 'That's why I play the game, is to win. That's the end goal for me.' The pursuit of championship aspirations will begin in less than a month when the Broncos convene for training camp. In the meantime, Surtain's free camp was another opportunity to engage with a community he has poured himself into since arriving in Denver and then quickly setting up his charitable foundation. His efforts have focused on S.T.E.A.M. education (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and last fall the foundation awarded two $50,000 grants for two high schools in Denver to build 'Inspiration Rooms' that help foster S.T.E.A.M. growth. Manual High School in Denver, for example, is using its room to expand its burgeoning robotics program. The football camp Saturday was a chance for Surtain to get back to his roots. He vividly remembers tagging along with his father, former NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain, as he ran camps for kids during pro stops in Florida and Kansas City. The Broncos' star cornerback said he still abides by the same message his dad tried to convey at those camps. 'It's just teaching them at an early age that the simple way is the right way to do things,' Surtain said. 'Especially early on, at their age and just starting their journey, you just want to elaborate that doing the simple things right pays off.' As campers went through a stretch line at the start of Saturday's camp, a dozen or so kids surrounded Surtain, a small mob wrapping the cornerback in a roving bear hug. The 6-foot-4 Surtain smiled as he towered above the crowd of young fans. It was a fitting, visual reminder. Even as the Broncos build the defensive roster elsewhere, there's still no mistaking the centerpiece.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Broncos' Pat Surtain II's Contract Tabbed as 'Bargain'
Broncos' Pat Surtain II's Contract Tabbed as 'Bargain' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II was made the highest-paid defensive back in NFL History last season, but it is now being described as a significantly team-friendly deal. Advertisement According to NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN, Surtain inked a four-year, $96 million deal ahead of the 2024 season. That averages out to $24 million per season, making him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Oh, and he went on the win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. "It looks as if the Broncos got a bargain," Graziano said. The NFL insider believes the deal is particularly good for the Broncos because the Carolina Panthers' Jaycee Horn and Houston Texans' Derek Stingley each went on to sign deals worth more money. "You could make the case that Surtain did his deal too early or that Horn was smart to wait, but looking at the two deals next to each other makes you scratch your head." Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile J. Downing-Imagn Images Surtain was well-compensated, but the structure of the contract gives Denver room to breathe. The guarantees slowly shrink as years progress, giving the franchise more control over cap space when it comes time to pay someone like Bo Nix. Advertisement "Surtain's deal turned out to be great for the Broncos, who probably confront a need to give him a raise if he keeps playing the way he has been playing and the cornerback market continues to race past him," Graziano said. Denver locked up a corner who not only ranks among the league's best but also did so in a cost-efficient way. In the cap-conscious NFL, that's the best kind of team-friendly contract. Related: Former NFL QB Says Broncos' Sean Payton Is Entering 'Prove-It' Year This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Draft These 3 Defenses in 2025 Fantasy Football
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 27: Pat Surtain II (2) of the Denver Broncos celebrates making a tackle for a ... More loss on fourth down against the Carolina Panthers as Malcolm Roach (97) rejoices during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, October 27, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) One of the things that fantasy owners are constantly underprepared for year in and year out is what defense they should select. While it's not the most fun topic to discuss, if you're in a traditional league format such as an ESPN league, you likely have to start one for your 2025 fantasy football team. With a defense being part of your starting lineup, it's crucial you nail this pick. While most people know to go to the wavier wire in-season, many struggle with a draft strategy. Today, we'll be breaking down the top three defenses to draft in 2025 fantasy football. The plan is simple: since you're going to be streaming a defense most weeks anyway, target defenses that produced last year and also have a good week one matchup. The last thing you want to do is have two defenses on your team in week one. Starting with an elite defense, you have the Denver Broncos. Right now, the Denver Broncos are going as the number one ranked defense on FantasyPros ADP for a good reason. They finished as the number one defense last year with 10.5 PPG, and they're facing off against the Tennessee Titans in week one. The Titans allowed 9.4 PPG to defenses in 2024 fantasy football, which was 2nd in the NFL. Even with Cam Ward coming into town, this should still be a rough offense in week one. If you have the option to select the first defense, the Broncos should always be the pick. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going as the 4th ranked defense this year, and this is a more reasonable price point for you to target. Last season, the Steelers finished 4th in PPG at 8.6, and they have a solid week one matchup. Now, a lot of this is going to depend on T. J. Watt. In 2024, Watt had 11.5 sacks, but there have been some trade rumors around Watt recently. If Watt gets traded, the Steelers will be a fine pick still, but they might not finish in the top five. As of now, though, Watt is still on the team. In week one, the Steelers take on the Jets, who allowed the 9th most points to defenses (5.9 PPG) last season. From a passing perspective, Justin Fields should be considered a downgrade from Aaron Rodgers, and the team didn't get significantly stronger on offense. Expect the Steelers to be a good season-long play with the ability to have a massive week one. CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 16: Trey Hendrickson #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a play ... More in the second half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paycor Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by) Similar to the Steelers, there's a lot up in the air with the Cincinnati Bengals. For reference, the Bengals are going as the 25th defense off the board in 2025. If Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart end up playing right away, the Bengals will be a great selection. That said, both players are possible candidates to hold out due to a contract issue. Aside from that, the Bengals could be a sneaky play in week one. The Bengals were fine last season, scoring the 16th most points in the NFL at 6.1 PPG. What makes them appealing is the week one matchup. The Bengals take on the Browns, who allowed the most points to defenses last year at 10 PPG. In the NFL Draft, the Browns passed on the right to select Travis Hunter, and they didn't take a quarterback until Dillon Gabriel in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. While the team has improved overall, the offense hasn't made any drastic changes. Expect the Bengals to have a big week one in 2025 fantasy football.
