Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has been handing out early Christmas gifts in the form of contract extensions, and center Luke Wattenberg is the latest recipient. The Broncos announced the signing of Wattenberg to a four-year, $48 million extension, with the news reported by Jeff Legwold of ESPN, and Denver also extended defensive tackle to a three-year, $29 million extension with $14 million guaranteed.
All joking aside, these are smart moves by Payton, and as usual they go at least somewhat against the grain. Most teams don’t do contract extensions during the season, much less during the bye week, but Wattenberg's was the second extension announced by the Broncos, followed closely by that of Roach. Kicker Wil Lutz was the first to get a new deal.
Signing Wattenberg makes sense both on the field and in the ledgers. He was a fifth-round pick back in the 2022 draft, and Wattenberg has been a starter for two seasons now. Roach has been a solid inside piece on defense, which is important to the Broncos' record-setting pass rush.
They join receiver Courtland Sutton, defensive end Zach Allen and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto as Broncos who have recently signed extension, as Payton continues to back up the comments he’s made about believing in his current roster.
Payton has referred to Wattenberg as “an asset starter,” and he’s also said that the center has played “really well” for Denver, according to Legwold. Wattenberg took over for former center Lloyd Cushenberry III last season when Cushenberry left via free agency, and Wattenberg has started 24 games in the last two seasons, including all 11 this year. Roach was signed in 2024 after the 27-year old spent the first four years of his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints.
The Denver coach still has a lot of work to do, however, if he wants to maintain the current roster. Upcoming free agents include linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strand, defensive end John Franklin-Myers, running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Adam Trautman.
The Broncos won’t be able to sign all of these players, of course. The salary cap will come into play at some point, and painful decisions will have to made this offseason. When Payton coached the Saints, he had GM Mickey Loomis going over the cap with reckless abandon, but that may not be a viable option in Denver.
It makes sense to make these signings while quarterback Bo Nix is still on his rookie deal, however. Payton remains steadfast in his belief in Nix as “the guy,” and so far he’s been rewarded handsomely, even with his quarterback’s occasional inconsistency issues.
Payton knows this window won’t stay open for long, though, so he’s building a defense and an offensive line that gives Denver the best possible chance to get to the promised land.