The Denver Broncos picked up cornerback Pat Surtain’s fifth-year option for the 2025 season last week, but the team will not exercise quarterback Zach Wilson’s fifth-year option before the May 2 deadline, according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.
This, of course, is no surprise because the cost of the option for a quarterback like Wilson would be $22.4 million in 2025. The Broncos will pay him just $2.72 million this fall after agreeing to split his remaining salary with the Jets.
Surtain and Wilson were eligible for fifth-year options because they were first-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft. Surtain is now under contract for the next two years, and Denver will presumably work on getting him a long-term extension.
Wilson is set to spend the 2024 season with the Broncos before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2025. If all goes well, Denver might consider re-signing Wilson, but there’s no need to pick up his pricey option now.
