NFL teams looking for a blueprint to retain top defensive talent should take a page from the Denver Broncos’ playbook — specifically, their handling of edge rusher Jonathon Cooper’s latest contract extension.
The Broncos nailed the timing, locking Cooper in with a four-year, $60 million deal — including $33 million guaranteed — midway through the 2024 season. That proactive move could prove to be one of the best bargains in franchise history.
Cooper is already gaining national attention. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder recently dubbed him Denver’s “Best Kept Secret” heading into the 2025 season — though that secret won’t stay hidden much longer.
“This will likely be the last time Cooper is eligible to be considered a ‘secret’ as he’s destined to make a Pro Bowl and/or All-Pro team sooner rather than later,” Holder wrote on May 19. “He’s logged 19.5 sacks over the last two years and ranked 13th among edge rushers with 61 total pressures during the 2024 regular season, per Pro Football Focus. The 2021 seventh-round pick has exceeded expectations and became one of the main reasons the Broncos were a top-three defense in points allowed last season.”
If Cooper continues his trajectory toward elite status — and some would argue he’s already there — the Broncos will have him under contract for roughly half the average salary of the NFL’s top 10 edge rushers in 2025.
From Seventh-Round Pick to Major Payday
Jonathon Cooper entered the final year of his rookie deal — a modest four-year, $3.58 million contract — as a seventh-round pick (No. 238 overall) from the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Few could have predicted just how valuable he would become.
Interestingly, Cooper was one of two edge rushers drafted by the Broncos from Ohio State that year, joining Baron Browning, a third-round pick (No. 105 overall). But while Browning’s time in Denver ended with a trade to the Arizona Cardinals — executed the same day Cooper inked his new deal — Cooper’s trajectory was only just beginning.
Cooper had already flashed high-level talent prior to 2024. In 2023, he recorded 72 tackles, 55 quarterback pressures, and led the team with 8.5 sacks. He followed that up in 2024 with a breakout campaign: 58 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 20 quarterback hits — all while playing in the shadow of a star-studded defensive cast.
Despite being somewhat overlooked due to All-Pro teammates like edge rusher Nik Bonitto, defensive end Zach Allen, and NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, Cooper’s impact was undeniable. He played a central role in making Denver’s defense one of the NFL’s best.
Broncos Double Down on Defense
The Broncos’ investment in Cooper — a four-year, $60 million extension with $33 million guaranteed — marked their second major defensive commitment of 2024. Just a month earlier, they had locked down Surtain with a four-year, $96 million extension.
By securing Cooper when they did, the Broncos may have dodged a bidding war and saved themselves a significant amount of money. Had Cooper hit free agency in 2025, he likely would have been one of the most coveted defenders on the market.
Next up could be Nik Bonitto. According to Spotrac, the explosive pass rusher is projected to command a four-year, $92.8 million extension — another sign that Denver is committed to building its future around a dominant defense.
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