Broncos' star edge rusher and defensive coordinator earn top honors, capping a dominant 14-win season.
Two members of the Denver Broncos have been named as finalists for end-of-year Associated Press NFL awards after a 14-win season that saw them grab the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto is a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award, while defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year.
Bonitto followed up his dominant 2024 season with another season of excellence on the Broncos’ defensive line. The 26-year-old finished with 14 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 46 total tackles, 28 QB hits, and two forced fumbles. After signing a $106 million extension with the Broncos for four years back in September, Bonitto proved during the 2025 season that he’s worth every penny of that contract.
His sack total put him in the top five in the NFL while sitting at No. 11 in tackles for loss. Among edge rushers, there are just a handful of guys who match Bonitto’s production. As a finalist, he’ll go up against Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans, Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions, and Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers. The DPOY winner will be announced before the Super Bowl, which the Broncos hope to be prepping for by that time.
Denver’s DC, Joseph, also found his way onto the lists of finalists competing for an AP Award this season. The leader of the Broncos’ defense, Joseph’s defense was viewed as one of teh most threatning the most threatening in the league all season long. While the offense struggled in several games this season, the defense always kept it close to allow for a comeback, which happened on multiple occasions. Without the dominant play coming from the defense every week, the Broncos would not have been sitting at the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Joseph’s defense ranked second in total yards allowed and third in points allowed. The rushing defense was elite, allowing the second-fewest yards and fourth-fewest touchdowns from the ground. To pair with that, Denver was just as great when defending the pass. Joseph and the Broncos ranked seventh in passing yards allowed, fourth in touchdowns, and first in net yards gained per pass by the opposition.
His competition as a finalist will be Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings, Klint Kubiak of the Seattle Seahawks, and Josh McDaniels of the New England Patriots. Broncos fans will be hoping for an award win from both Bonitto and Joseph in a couple of weeks.