The Denver Broncos found a cornerstone of their defense with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and less than a week before the 2024 season opener, the front office has locked him in for the future. The Broncos and cornerback Patrick Surtain II have agreed on a four-year, $96 million extension which includes $77.5 million guaranteed, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms.
This contract makes Surtain the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, and his new AAV of $24 million surpasses Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander's $21 million per year mark. The highest-paid safety is Antoine Winfield Jr., who signed a four-year, $84.1 million deal that has an AAV of $21.025 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.
Top 5 highest-paid CBs
| Player | Team | AAV | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Patrick Surtain II | Broncos | $24M | $96M |
Jaire Alexander | Packers | $21M | $84M |
A.J. Terrell | $20.25M | $81M | |
Denzel Ward | $20.1M | $100.5M | |
Jalen Ramsey | $20M | $100M |
Surtain, whose father, Patrick Surtain, was also a star defensive back that played 11 NFL seasons, has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons, and was named a First Team All-Pro in 2022. He also became the first-ever Broncos player to record 10+ passes defended in each of his first three NFL seasons since the statistic was first tracked in 1991.
In CBS Sports' top 20 positional rankings entering 2024, Surtain was listed as the No. 2 cornerback in the NFL behind Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets, who now has a new number to shoot for in his upcoming contract negotiations. In fact, Gardner even responded to the breaking news on social media with dollar signs for eyes.
Ever since he stepped onto an NFL field, Surtain has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league. In 50 games played, Surtain has recorded 187 combined tackles, 36 passes defensed and seven interceptions.