Report: Broncos picked up the fifth-year option of CB Patrick Surtain II

In an easy no-brain decision, the Denver Broncos have reportedly picked up the fifth-year option of CB Patrick Surtain II.

According to ESPN’s lead NFL insider Adam Schefter, sources tell him that the Broncos have picked up the fifth-year option of cornerback Patrick Surtain II. 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis has confirmed this report and states that the fifth-year option will cost $19.8 million dollars in 2025.

Back in February, Denver Broncos general manager George Paton that “Pat is going to be here” and that picking up his fifth-year option would be “one of the easier decisions we’ll make”. Well, it was pretty easy as the Broncos made this decision two days before the draft and will now likely work towards a long-term deal with their All-Pro cornerback.

As Klis noted in a recent tweet, these large fifth-year option cap hits are often lowered by signing a long-term extension with the player and spreading that out throughout the deal. The Broncos will likely try to hammer out a deal with their All-Pro cornerback this offseason and likely make him the highest-paid cornerback in the history of the NFL.

The Broncos selected Surtain II with their 9th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft and since then, he has turned into one of the top cornerbacks in the league. He was voted as a first-team All-Pro in 2022 and was a two-time Pro Bowler during his first three years with the Broncos. Now, he is secured to be with the team through the 2025 season and likely longer if they can agree on a long-term deal.

Surtain has been rumored to be in trade talks and potentially included in a trade-up deal for a quarterback but these actions seem to point to that not happening. Not only did they pick up his fifth-year option but they featured him in their throwback jersey announcement. Not something you typically do if you’re about to ship out a player in a trade a few days later. So those who feared this possibility coming true can rest easy because it appears that Surtain will be here for the long haul.