Denver Linebacker Talks Improvement As Team Could Move On From His Fellow Star

Denver Linebacker Talks Improvement As Team Could Move On From His Fellow Star

Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto is ambitious, and he’s always looking to improve. He had a fantastic season last year, as he posted impressive sack numbers and earned both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors for a second season, and he discussed playing with an injury in a piece written by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk via Mike Klis of 9News. 

The issue he was dealing with was a wrist injury, and Bonitto had to play with a cast wrapped around his right hand for much of the season, according to Williams. He had successful wrist surgery in February, but now he’s good to go. 

The injury definitely hurt his production, however. The writer added that Bonitto had only six sacks in the final 11 games of the season after getting off to a fast start. 

“It was a little bit of everything, really,’’ Bonitto explained in the reoprt. “It was just trying to work through the whole wrist thing. Not being able to have . . . . wearing the cast, it kind of takes away a lot of stuff you can do. Hard to shed; hard to grab; all those things.”

What’s slightly hilarious about this is that the injury was self-inflicted. Bonitto hurt his wrist slamming it on the turf in frustration after he just missed an interception, but he didn’t mention that in his comments. 

What he did talk about was the extra attention he’s been getting from defenses recently after having 10 sacks in a seven-game stretch that dates back to the Broncos’ final game of the 2024 season against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

“It was game-plan stuff too,’’ Bonitto said. “Getting doubled more, getting chipped and cut more. It was all those things in a combination where it was a learning process for me as I continue to grow in my career.” 

The linebacker will have a new obstacle in his way this season, and it has nothing to do with injuries. His star running mate at linebacker, Jonathon Cooper, is currently dealing with legal issues related to a pair of domestic violence arrests, and a suspension looks likely at this point. That means more focus on Bonitto, so what he experienced last year may be just the beginning. 

But Bonitoo doesn’t intend to let that stop him, as Williams noted.

“I want to continue to grow and be a better player than I was the previous year,’’ Bonitto said. “Whatever comes with that comes with it, but I just want to continue to get better.”