Broncos star Nik Bonitto gets brutally honest about early Defensive Player of the Year talk

After six games, Nik Bonitto is the favorite to win the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. The star pass rusher of the Denver Broncos has now shared his thoughts on the added pressure.

This offseason, Bonitto signed a lucrative contract extension with the Broncos. He is proving he was worth it with remarkable performances in the first six games of the season.

Bonitto currently has eight sacks and is on pace to challenge the NFL record. These numbers put him at the top of the 2025 DPOY conversation, and the pass rusher is well aware of it.

Nik Bonitto gets real on being favorite to win the 2025 DPOY award

Last year, the Broncos gave Pat Surtain II a new deal before the 2024 season. The cornerback then had the best campaign of his career and was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Denver saw that success and followed the same formula by giving Nik Bonitto a new deal. After six games, the linebacker leads the NFL in sacks with eight, and it seems unlikely he will relinquish that spot anytime soon.

His outstanding performances have made him the early frontrunner in the 2025 DPOY race. However, Bonitto believes it is still too early to think about individual awards, staying completely focused on team success.

“It’s obviously an honor. Pat, he’s the best in the game right now,” Bonitto said on Sunday. “What he did today was special. Every week we always go out to him to guard the best guy and we don’t hear from him ever again throughout the game. It’s a testament to him and obviously that’s a great honor just coming from him.

“It’s a long season. I still have a lot of room to grow in my game. A lot of games to just keep playing and keep trying to stack these wins. I’ve got a lot of ways to go before we start even having those conversations.”

Who are the other favorites for the 2025 DPOY award?

Nik Bonitto is part of an incredible Broncos defense. The outside linebacker is thriving thanks to his teammates, but he is not the only player currently in the conversation for the award.

As of now, Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson and Packers’ Micah Parsons are also following Bonitto closely as top contenders for the 2025 DPOY. Nevertheless, it is the Broncos’ star who boasts the best numbers and currently seems to have the edge over Hutchinson and Parsons.