-
Jeff Legwold
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos’ head coach, Sean Payton, has consistently expressed his strong belief in the team’s existing player lineup, and the organization has consistently demonstrated its commitment through financial agreements.
Luke Wattenberg, a center selected by Denver in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, is the most recent starting player to reach an agreement on a contract extension, marking the second such instance within the past week. Sources have independently verified the agreement on a four-year, $48 million contract extension on Wednesday morning for Wattenberg, who has held the starting position for the previous two seasons.
Wattenberg, who was slated to become an unrestricted free agent in March, is the latest addition to a growing list of Broncos players who have agreed to contract extensions with the team. Wil Lutz, a kicker, agreed to a three-year contract extension in the past week, while Courtland Sutton, a wide receiver, Zach Allen, a defensive end, and Nik Bonitto, an outside linebacker, all agreed to multiyear extensions just prior to the commencement of the regular season.
Payton stated earlier this week that Lutz was among “several” players Denver had engaged with in recent weeks, including during the team’s bye week last week, regarding contract discussions. The Broncos, boasting a 9-2 record, are currently on an eight-game winning streak, representing the team’s longest such streak since an 11-game winning streak in 2012.
“We dedicated time [to contracts] — [General Manager George Paton] and myself — before the break and engaged in discussions about a number of players with whom we intend to meet,” Payton remarked on Monday. “The paramount consideration is to avoid disrupting the team’s momentum or performance. I maintain a heightened awareness of this, particularly when the team is performing well, as such discussions can sometimes present challenges.”
Earlier in the season, Payton characterized Wattenberg as “an asset starter” and noted that the 28-year-old had performed “really well” for Denver. Wattenberg assumed the starting role last season following the departure of Lloyd Cushenberry III in free agency, and he has since started in 24 games over the past two seasons, including all 11 games this year.
The Broncos’ roster of potential unrestricted free agents come next March still includes Alex Singleton, a linebacker, Justin Strnad, a linebacker, John Franklin-Myers, a defensive end, Malcolm Roach, a defensive tackle, J.K. Dobbins, a running back and Adam Trautman, a tight end. Each of these players has started in games this season.
