ENGLEWOOD — After a week off due to an ailing foot, Nik Bonitto was back at Broncos practice Tuesday and ready to show how many more bucks might end up being added to a lucrative contract extension.

Denver star cornerback Pat Surtain said last week Bonitto is “going to break the market” and the Broncos “might give him a blank check.” And Bonitto reiterated after the practice at Broncos Park the edge rusher market remains in his favor.

“It’s just going to keep going up and up with the guys that are still needing to be signed,’’ said Bonitto, who last week had a procedure to remove a bone spur from his foot. “And just the position that I’m in (with) last year and the confidence that I feel I’m going to put myself in this year. So it’s just kind of in my favor right now.”

Bonitto had talked July 20 about his optimism to sign a lucrative extension and coach Sean Payton has said he likely is the next Denver player in line for one. The Broncos signed wide receiver Courtland Sutton on July 28 to a four-year, $92 million extension and defensive lineman Zach Allen on Aug. 2 to a four-year, $102 million deal.

Bonitto said his contract talks are “going well.” He is a good bet to surpass Allen for being the team’s highest-paid player.

“I feel like it’s been good communication on both sides,’’ said Bonitto, who had 13.5 sacks in 2024, his third NFL season. “I feel I got to trust what (agent Tory Dandy is doing) and knowing how (the Broncos) feel about me upstairs. I feel like something will get done but it’s just a matter of when. … Through the whole process (the Broncos have let me know) they want to extend me, they want me here. It’s just about when they want to get it done and when we’re ready.”

Bonitto, who is under contract to make $5.346 million in the final year of his rookie contract, said it’s not essential he sign a new deal prior to the Sept. 7 opener against Tennessee.

“Not really,’’ Bonitto said. “At the end of the day, I’m still under contract for another year so, yeah, I would like to get it done (by the opener), but that’s like the least of my worries, honestly. I just want to compete for a championship this year, do all the things that we have set out to do as a team and as a defense.”

On Tuesday, the Broncos were glad to get Bonitto back after he had the procedure to remove a bone spur that resulted in him getting three stitches on his foot. He said the issue began to surface when Denver had a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 7.

“Ever since then, it was kind of bothering me,’’ Bonitto said. “I tried to fight through the (Aug. 9 preseason game against the 49ers and after it) I told the trainers that if I kept playing (after two series), I don’t know if I could have kept going on. So it was just something we could either try to fight through the season or have the procedure done and not worry about it.”’

Payton spoke at length last Thursday about the procedure and how it would sideline Bonitto for a short period before returning to practice this week.

“It’s good to have him back out here,’’ said Payton, who has said he expects to use starters for eight to 10 plays in Saturday’s preseason finale at New Orleans. “I thought we all felt the same way, the training room and Nik, having what he had done wasn’t going to keep him back very long just based on the location (of the bone spur).”

Bonitto and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who had been doing just individual drills recently while working his way back from a quad injury suffered July 31, both did team drills Tuesday. Bonitto said after the practice he was still working his way back after not having taken the field since the 49ers game.

“I’m still trying to get used to just my footing and moving around and stuff like that because I wasn’t really able to this past week or so,’’ he said.

Nevertheless, consider that against San Francisco, even with an ailing foot and Bonitto having a slight limp, he had an impressive second series. On three straight plays, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Bonitto “did ruin that whole series” by pressuring quarterback Mac Jones.

For Bonitto, much of it comes from his ability to quickly get off the line of scrimmage.

“He can bend,’’ Payton said. “I think you can get off the line of scrimmage quickly, but I think more importantly the thing that helps him is when you have someone that can get off the line quickly with the snap count, anticipate it, but then also can really bend lower than where the tackle wants to put his left hand. That can be problematic.”

Yes, it can. Bonitto said he can terrify opposing linemen with his quick get-off.

“I take pride in that for sure and I kind of set that up off everything,’’ he said. “I know a lot of tackles, they kind of fear my speed, so there’s a bunch of things where there’s the get-off and I can turn it into a counter, turn into power or just run around the edge. It’s definitely a thing that can help me win a lot of my rushes.”

It also can help land a lucrative contract extension. It’s likely just a matter of when.