Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II views himself as the top cornerback in the league, and rightfully so. At some point, Denver will likely have to pay him as such.
Surtain is eligible for a contract extension, which could make him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history. His teammate and fellow 2021 draft pick Quinn Meinerz landed a lucrative extension before camp, but Surtain said Friday that he doesn’t have a set date on when he wants a deal to get done. The fourth-year defensive back insisted his focus is on the field.
“There’s no specific time frame right now,” Surtain said after the team’s first day of training camp at Broncos Park. “I’m letting my agent handle that and let that process speak for itself.”
This offseason, the Broncos picked up Surtain’s fifth-year option at $19.8 million, keeping him under contract through the 2025 season. He has a cap hit of $6.6 million in 2024, according to Spotrac, but an extension could put the two-time Pro Bowl selection’s average annual salary north of the $21.0 million figure made by the top-paid cornerback in the league, Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander.
While Surtain is more focused on improving his craft, he said the Broncos reassured him that he’s part of their long-term plans.
“I think they made it pretty clear that they want me a part of the team and that’s what I’m looking forward to (doing),” Surtain said.
Even though Surtain doesn’t pay much attention to player rankings, ESPN had him rated as the best cornerback in the league and at No. 52 overall in the annual NFL Top 100 list. Surtain seemed to agree with ESPN’s ranking when asked about it Friday.
“Of course, I see myself in that regard,” he said. “I definitely do (put that) on my shoulders, for sure…But at the end of the day, I’m just here to play my game and do what’s best for the team.”
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