September 4 is starting to look like a date the Broncos should keep circled.
It was on Sept. 4, 2024, that Denver locked up Pat Surtain II with a four-year contract extension, and he responded by winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The year before that, the Broncos reached a four-year extension with Nik Bonitto just before the season, and Bonitto finished fourth in DPOY voting.
Now Riley Moss could be next.
Back when George Paton took over as general manager, he laid out the team’s plan plainly: draft well, develop those players, and get them to second contracts. That approach has already produced results, and if Moss gets paid soon, it would mean Paton has managed to do something rare for an NFL GM - line up big-money deals for players from his first three draft classes.
The Broncos have already handed out major contracts to multiple players from each of those first two classes, not just Surtain and Bonitto. But the pattern around Sept. 4 stands out because both of those deals went to the best players from their respective classes.
There’s real logic behind getting a deal done before the season begins. It removes the noise of a contract year, takes the franchise tag off the table for after the season, and gives the team a chance to keep a key player without dragging the situation into the fall.
In Denver’s case, it has worked. Surtain and Bonitto were both in the DPOY conversation right after signing, and Surtain ended up taking home the award.
For Moss, the case is about more than just timing. He has had his rough stretches as a starter, but he was also one of the Broncos’ most improved players this offseason. That matters in a system built around drafting, developing, and rewarding growth.
It also matters because the money only gets more expensive. If Moss has a big 2026, the price tag is going to jump. So will the percentage of the salary cap his deal would eat up, and with a Bo Nix extension hopefully coming at some point in the next year, Denver has to stay aware of how it allocates its cap space.
This would also be a bet on what Moss is becoming, not just what he has already done. ESPN recently noted there are three other cornerbacks in the NFL with contract situations worth watching, and Moss fits right into that conversation.
He led the league last season in penalty yardage, but he also tied for first in the NFL with 19 passes broken up. That’s the kind of profile teams have to weigh carefully: the blemishes are there, but so is the upside.
So while nothing is guaranteed, the smart money says Denver tries to get something done with Moss before the season starts - maybe even by Sept. 4. If that happens, the Broncos would have a long-term deal in place for at least one player from each of Paton’s first three draft classes in three straight years.
That’s the kind of pattern that says plenty about where the organization is headed, and it’s the sort of thing Paton and Sean Payton clearly value.
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Kansas City is still Kansas City, but the offseason brought real turnover, including a move for Kenneth Walker and some losses in the secondary that could matter over a long season. Las Vegas is trying to fast-track a rebuild around rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, while the Chargers are dealing with coaching changes and the usual questions about whether their roster is as good as it looks. For Denver, the appeal is simple: this is no longer just a team chasing the division, but one with a genuine case to own it. [Read more 🡒]