Nik Bonitto, the outside linebacker for the Broncos, put up a ridiculous 13.5 sacks in 2024, landing him ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Then he went even harder in 2025, racking up 14 sacks and climbing to fourth in DPOY voting. You’d think a guy hitting those kinds of numbers would be satisfied, but Bonitto is out here saying he expects *another* similar jump this season, which is just insane to think about.
This Guy’s Hunger Is Different
After two seasons where he’s consistently been one of the league’s top pass rushers, Bonitto is already preparing for the attention he’s going to draw. He spent his whole offseason grinding, studying how other elite pass rushers handle the double teams he knows are coming his way. That’s the kind of dedication that separates the good from the truly great. He’s not resting on those DPOY votes; he’s leveling up. This isn’t just about getting sacks; it’s about anticipating the defense’s response and still finding a way to get to the quarterback.
“A Lot of Room to Grow”?! Really?!
Even after those monster seasons, Bonitto is telling anyone who’ll listen that he hopes to improve in “all facets” of his game. Seriously, he told Aric DiLalla from the team site, “I still have a lot of room to grow in my game , in the run and in the pass.” He wants to “fine-tune these things,” keep watching other guys doing it at a high level, and figure out how to be “the best player I know I can be.” It’s not just regular season heroics either; Bonitto balled out in two postseason games, forcing two fumbles, including a strip-sack, along with three tackles, a quarterback hit, and a tackle for loss. Those two forced fumbles led directly to six points in their 33-30 overtime win against the Bills! He knows those big moments matter, saying, “doing it in the postseason in those big type of moments, it gives you that confidence to know you’re supposed to be there, and you can make those types of plays on big stages.” This level of self-criticism and ambition, after being *that* good, is truly terrifying for every offense he’s about to face. He’s not done cooking, not by a long shot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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