Nik Bonitto is about to be millions of dollars richer thanks to latest NFL news
The final results for the 2025 Pro Bowl are in and three Denver Broncos players made it onto the AFC's original roster: cornerback Pat Surtain II, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.This is Surtain II's third-straight Pro Bowl nod and he's also a candidate to take home the NFL's Defensive Player […]
The final results for the 2025 Pro Bowl are in and three Denver Broncos players made it onto the AFC's original roster: cornerback Pat Surtain II, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.
This is Surtain II's third-straight Pro Bowl nod and he's also a candidate to take home the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. He's developed into the league's best cornerback and has recorded four interceptions this season, which ties his career-best back in 2021, his rookie year. This is Mims Jr.'s second-straight Pro Bowl nod as a special teamer after making the list last year. He currently leads the NFL in both punt return yardage (408) and also leads the league in punt return average (15.7).
This is the first nod for Bonitto, however, and it's also well-deserved. Bonitto has had a great year, recording 11.5 sacks, an interception that also went for a touchdown, 14 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. The sack total is a career high and is currently the fourth-most among all pass rushers.
The selection comes just in time, too, as it qualifies Bonitto for a Level Three Proven Performance Escalator raise in 2025. Level Three is reserved for former draft picks taken in Rounds 2-7 that make a Pro Bowl in one of their first three years. The Pro Bowl selection has to be an original ballot selection, which Bonitto is.
As a result, Bonitto will see his base salary jump from $1,496,166 to the projected amount of $5,217,000 in 2025. It constitutes a $3,720,834 raise and it will count toward the Broncos' 2025 salary cap space, which is currently over $56.6 million under a projected $272.5 million salary cap. Overall, Bonitto will count around $5,566,889 against the cap, next year.
The NFL's PPE policy is a very underrated policy that helps non-first round picks earn more money for playing time/accomplishments. It's a pretty cool program that helps them compensate for missing out on the big, guaranteed contracts that first-rounders receive after they're drafted as one of the first 32 selections.
There are two other levels, obviously, and they both have different thresholds that must be met in order to qualify. And, of course, there are different bonus structures, as well.
To qualify for a Level One PPE raise, a player has to play a certain amount of offensive or defensive snaps over the course of their first three seasons. For second round picks, it has to be at least 60% in two of their first three seasons or the average of all three seasons across the board. For 3rd-7th round picks, it has to be 35%. If a player qualifies for this raise, they'll get bumped up to the Original Round tender, which will be more than the projected $3.185 million Right of First Refusal tender.
A Level Two raise can be had if a player plays in at least 55% of snaps in all three seasons. If this happens, they'll get bumped up to the Original Round tender and they'll also receive $250,000 on top of it.
The raise occurs in the player's fourth season, so Mims Jr. will get his bump in 2026 and it should be even more than what Bonitto receives next year.
I'm sure Bonitto wants to make the playoffs with his fellow Broncos teammates, but if something bad happens this weekend, at least he has this cherry on top of a career year.
