Tag: pass rusher

Dolphins block Shaq Barrett from unretiring in 2024

The Dolphins have blocked Shaq Barrett from unretiring this season.

Earlier this week, the agents for Shaq Barrett announced that the pass rusher had applied to be reinstated into the NFL.

Four months after announcing his retirement in July, Barrett wanted to unretire and return to the league. Because he signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins this spring, they controlled his rights for the 2024 season.

The Dolphins had until Thursday afternoon to activate Barrett from the reserve/retired list. Miami opted not to activate Barrett and they did not release him, preventing any other team from signing the pass rusher.

Barrett has now been blocked from playing in 2024 and his contract will toll until next year. So if the pass rusher wants to play in 2025, he will be under contract with the Dolphins.

Barrett started his career for the Denver Broncos, where he spent the first five years of his career as a rotational pass rusher. The 32-year-old edge defender has two Super Bowl titles (one with the Broncos and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and 59 career sacks on his resume.

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Broncos haven’t had a pass rusher as productive as Nik Bonitto in 6 years

Nik Bonitto (10.0) is the first Bronco to record double-digit sacks since Von Miller (14.5) and Bradley Chubb (12.0) did so in 2018.

Nik Bonitto’s historic pace continues.

The Denver Broncos‘ pass rusher recorded one sack in a 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, bringing his season-long total to 10 sacks. Bonitto became the team’s first player to record double-digit sacks in a single season since Von Miller (14.5) and Bradley Chubb (12.0) did so in 2018.

Amazingly, Bonitto said after the game that he’s never had a double-digit sack season since high school. He posted 0-, 3.5-, 8- and 7-sack seasons in four seasons at Oklahoma before being drafted by Denver in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Pressure from Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper helped force a game-changing interception against the Raiders:

As a team, the Broncos have recorded 44 sacks this year, which ties for the second-most through 12 games in franchise history. The team’s all-time record was 47 sacks through the first 12 games of the 1986 season.

Bonitto and Co. will look to keep the momentum going when Denver hosts the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

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Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto ranks second in the NFL in sacks: ‘He’s a handful’

Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto ranks second in the NFL with nine sacks this season. “He’s a handful,” coach Sean Payton said.

Following his two-sack performance against the Atlanta Falcons last week, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is now tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks this season.

Only Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson (11.5) has more sacks than Bonitto through 11 games. Bonitto has already topped his previous career high of eight sacks in a season (2023).

Following a 38-6 win over the Falcons, Broncos coach Sean Payton attributed Bonitto’s rise to the pass rusher getting more snaps after putting on more weight.

“I would No. 1, guess that his snap count is higher,” Payton said. “So I’d say more opportunity. He’s stronger, and so with those additional opportunities, I think he’s done a great job of taking advantage of it to his credit. He’s a handful. Especially he’s one of those guys that bends well. It’s really helped us not only on third down, but on the earlier downs.”

Denver’s defense held Atlanta’s offense to just two field goals on Sunday.

“It means a lot and we obviously take a lot of pride in that,” Bonitto said of not allowing a touchdown. “Credit to the coaching staff and the guys that I am rushing with.”

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked three times and the Broncos’ defense now ranks first in the NFL with 39 sacks this fall.

“Just knowing the type of scheme [that] they like to run, knowing the type of guys we have in our room and the d-line room, we knew we could get after them,” Bonitto said.

Up next for Bonitto and Co. is a showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders. Gardner Minshew has been sacked 26 times in nine games this fall.

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Broncos great Simon Fletcher elected to Colorado Sports Hall of Fame

Simon Fletcher, who ranks second in Broncos history with 97.5 sacks, will be added to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.

Former Denver Broncos pass rusher Simon Fletcher will be added to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class, the selection committee announced on Wednesday.

Fletcher will be joined in next year’s class by Mikaela Shiffrin, Troy Tulowitzki, Larry Brown, Theodore “Bubbles” Anderson and Lisa Van Goor.

Fletcher, 62, ranks second in Broncos history with 97.5 career sacks, only trailing Von Miller (110.5 sacks). Fletcher played in Denver from 1985-1995, never missing a game during his 11-year career in the NFL (172 games).

Fletcher had five-straight seasons with double-digit sacks from 1989 to 1993 and he helped the team reach Super Bowls following the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons. He was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2016.

Fletcher and the five other members of the 2025 class will be recognized at a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Banquet next year. The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and Museum are located at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Broncos.

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Jonathon Cooper treated Broncos OLBs to expensive dinners after signing extension

Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper took the team’s outside linebackers out to a pair of dinners after he signed a big contract extension.

The Denver Broncos gave outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper a four-year, $54 million contract extension earlier this month that included a $6,025,168 signing bonus.

After signing that big extension, Cooper treated the team’s other pass rushers — including Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman and Andrew Farmer — to a pair of dinners, one at Del Frisco’s and one Ruth’s Chris, according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. The two meals cost about $1,400.

“As I become more of a vet and taking the young guys out for dinner and everything, kind of building a bond is what you’re supposed to do,” Cooper told Tomasson.

This is the latest example of Cooper’s leadership.

“‘Coop’ has been a joy to coach the last two years,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said in October. “He’s the same person every day. His energy, his toughness and his focus in always on point. He’s a guy that allows you to change the culture because [of] how he works every day on and off the field.

“It’s contagious, and guys have to match his intensity. He’s been that way for two years that I’ve been here. It doesn’t change on game day. He is a fully engaged, full speed, physical player.”

Cooper has totaled 6.5 sacks through 10 games this fall, putting him on pace for the first double-digit sack season of his career in 2024. Cooper’s four-year extension was well-deserved and it’s already paying off for the Broncos both on and off the field.

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Jonathon Cooper’s contract is even better than initially reported

Jonathon Cooper’s contract is worth an average of $13.5 million per season, even better than the initially-reported $15M per year.

When news broke earlier this week that pass rusher Jonathon Cooper signed a contract extension with the Denver Broncos, it was reported as a four-year, $60 million deal. That would average out to about $15 million per season, a very reasonable price for a productive edge defender.

It turns out that the deal was even better than initially reported (agents have a tendency to leak the “max value” of their clients’ deals). Cooper’s four-year extension is worth $54 million, giving him an average yearly salary of $13.5 million. He could earn an additional $6 million through incentives.

Cooper probably could have waited until the spring and earned more in free agency, but he wanted to stay in Denver.

“The process was pretty quick, easy and simple,” Cooper said of negotiating his second contract in the NFL. “I have really good agents and the people across the team, they like them. The process went really smooth, and I felt like I didn’t need to take it any further than what it was because I love this program. I love this team. I love the organization, and I just felt like I didn’t need to go any further and signing it there in the hotel, it just worked out as well as it could.”

Cooper received a $6,025,168 signing bonus that will be prorated as $1,225,168 cap hits in each of the next five seasons, according to OverTheCap.com. He also has a $4 million roster bonus due next spring and $510,000 game-day bonuses in each of the next four seasons.

Here’s a look at Cooper’s base salaries and cap hits from 2025-2028, courtesy of OTC:

2025: $5,635,000 / $11,345,000
2026: $11,490,000 / $13,200,000
2027: $12,990,000 / $14,700,000
2028: $12,990,000 / $14,700,000

Cooper gets a well-deserved raise with more than $16.7 million guaranteed and the Broncos got a team-friendly deal by getting the extension done before free agency. It worked out well for both sides.

“I’m very proud of ‘Coop’” cornerback Pat Surtain said this week. “When you talk about a guy who came in with the right approach, right work ethic and everything along the lines of becoming a great player, that’s him. Him being a seventh-round pick and going through the roster this and that — for him to be able to secure that contract is huge to him. I’m very proud of him.”

Cooper, 26, is tied with Nik Bonitto for the team lead in sacks over the last two seasons (14). After leading the club with 8.5 sacks last fall, Cooper is now on pace for the first double-digit sack season of his career in 2024. He deserves of penny of the new deal.

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Jonathon Cooper thankful, humble after getting new deal from Broncos

Jonathon Cooper fell to the seventh round of the 2021 draft before landing with the Broncos. “It all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

Jonathon Cooper had his NFL draft stock fall in 2021 after a pre-draft EKG revealed a heart irregularity. Cooper had known since high school that he had a Wolff-Parkinson-White heart condition, and that likely explained — at least in part — why he fell all the way to the seventh round in the NFL draft four years ago.

After being picked by the Broncos — who were aware of the condition — Cooper underwent surgery to help correct the irregularity. Fifty-six games in the NFL later, Cooper now has 38 quarterback hits and 18.5 sacks on his resume.

Denver rewarded Cooper’s production with a four-year, $60 million contract extension over the weekend. The humble pass rusher addressed the media for the first time after the news of his new deal broke earlier this week.

“I just want to start off by saying thank you to God,” Cooper said at his press conference on Wednesday. “Thank you to this organization, to Greg [Penner] and Carrie [Walton Penner], George [Paton], all of my coaches, head coach Sean Payton, everybody here that contributed [and] to the Broncos for believing in me. [I] just wanted to state that first and foremost, how thankful I am.”

Cooper’s heart condition likely cost him a few rounds during the 2021 draft, but he believes it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

“It was a tough process with the draft process and everything like that,” Cooper said. “I’m sure without that medical flag, I probably would have went a little bit higher. Honestly, it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity than to come here and to get that call from George [Paton]. It was just awesome. Even looking back at that, it all worked out the way it was supposed to, so [I’m] really not upset or mad about it. Just know that it’s time to get back to work.”

Payton was pleased to see the pass rusher get a new deal that will keep him with the team through the 2028 season.

“I’m excited for him,” Payton said. “He’s tough, he’s competitive. I think he’s a really good teammate. We have a lot of these guys that are. You know exactly the physicality you’re getting with a player. Well, you guys know him, so he certainly deserved it.”

Up next for Cooper and Co. is a tough road game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Cooper has 2.5 sacks in six career games against the Chiefs, but just one win against them. He’ll aim to build on both of those totals this weekend.

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Broncos kept Jonathon Cooper’s contract quiet, but there was a clue

The Broncos kept Jonathon Cooper’s contract extension quiet, but there was a clue on social media.

The Denver Broncos made a statement last Saturday when they gave outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper a four-year, $60 million contract extension. With that deal, Denver declared that Cooper is the team’s top pass rusher going forward. That declaration was made quietly, though.

Perhaps not wanting to upset any trade talks, the Broncos did not leak Cooper’s extension until after they agreed to trade fellow outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.

With both players scheduled to become free agents in 2025, Denver opted to keep Cooper instead of Browning. That decision was made official with Cooper’s extension on Saturday, but the team kept it quiet while finalizing the Browning trade.

There was a social media clue that the deal was done over the weekend, but nobody could be blamed for missing it (Broncos Wire didn’t notice it until after Cooper’s extension).

Cooper took to Twitter/X on Sunday evening to respond to Devin Jackson’s three-year-old story about Cooper’s football journey.

“I don’t usually look up articles of myself or read them if it’s positive but I just wanted to say thank you for this and thank you for helping me remember where I came from,” Cooper tweeted Jackson on Sunday.

After getting an extension, it seems that Cooper was reflecting back on his journey to the NFL. That was perhaps the first public clue that the pass rusher had received an extension from the Broncos.

Denver now has Cooper signed through the 2028 season.

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Broncos could get more depth at OLB soon

Broncos OLB Drew Sanders is “close to returning” from his Achilles injury, according to 9News.

Even after trading outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals, the Denver Broncos still have a deep pass rush depth chart.

And it might get even deeper.

Broncos outside linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) is “close to returning” from the physically unable to perform list, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Sanders tore his Achilles in April and coach Sean Payton said this spring that the team was hopeful he would return in the fall.

“Fortunately, it was an early enough timeline — we’ll bring him back,” Payton said in May. “I don’t want to say October, but the good news is the surgery was done, it was clean. There wasn’t anything complex about the injury.”

Once he returns, Sanders will join an outside linebacker room that features Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto. Denver also has Jonah Ellis and Dondrea Tillman providing rotational depth at the position.

Sanders, 23, was picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft out of Arkansas. He started four games as a rookie.

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Broncos’ updated OLB depth chart after Baron Browning trade

The Broncos still have plenty of depth at outside linebacker even after trading Baron Browning.

After agreeing to trade pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, the Denver Broncos still have impressive depth at outside linebacker.

The team’s top pass rusher remains Jonathon Cooper, who just signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension. Next up is former second-round draft pick Nik Bonitto, who leads the team with six sacks this season. Cooper (5.5 sacks) and Bonitto will remain Denver’s top edge defenders.

Providing rotational depth behind Cooper and Bonitto are Jonah Ellis, a third-round pick in April, and Dondrea Tillman, a gem from the UFL.

The depth doesn’t stop there. The Broncos also have Andrew Farmer on the practice squad and the team is hopeful that Drew Sanders (Achilles) will be able to return from the physically unable to perform list this season.

Broncos OLB depth chart

OLB1: Jonathon Cooper
OLB2: Nik Bonitto
OLB3: Jonah Ellis
OLB4: Dondrea Tillman 
OLB5: Andrew Farmer
PUP: Drew Sanders

Denver’s still in good shape at the position after parting ways with Browning. The NFL’s trade deadline is 2:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

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