ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With his right wrist repaired after off-season surgery, Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto said he is preparing for the increased attention he expects to face in 2026. He described lessons learned last season about battling injuries, working within a protection plan and finding ways to make plays while handling chips and double-teams.
Bonitto’s rise has been steady. He grew from a 1.5-sack rookie season in 2022 into a two-time Pro Bowl selection over the past two seasons and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. His 14 sacks in 2025 were a career high and marked the fourth straight season he set a new personal benchmark.
Denver’s pass rush has improved in tandem: the franchise set single-season sack records the past two seasons, with 63 in 2024 and 68 in 2025. Teammate Jonathon Cooper said Bonitto is putting in the work as the group prepares for another run this year.
Double-team attention rose as the 2025 season progressed. Bonitto’s double-team rate for the year was 15.4 percent, increasing from 11.4 percent in the first 10 games to 19.5 percent in the final seven. His production slipped accordingly, from 9.5 sacks in the first 10 games to 4.5 in the last seven; he totaled 1.5 sacks over the final four games, all coming in the season finale, and had four combined quarterback hits in that span.
Bonitto said he has studied how top rushers handle extra attention, including Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons, who faced the highest double-team rate in the league at 37.8 percent. He also said his wrist, injured after a Week 2 game when he hit the turf with his fist, has been surgically repaired and he feels “really good” as he rehabs.
Denver largely retained its roster in free agency, leaving the first- and second-string depth chart similar to 2025, though defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers left in free agency and linebacker Dre Greenlaw was released.
