Broncos kicker Wil Lutz was on the golf course enjoying his bye week when the phone call came in.
A three-year contract extension neared the finish line, his agent, John Perla, told him.
Lutz put pen to paper Monday upon arriving back at the team’s facility and now is under contract through 2028.
“The whole process was fairly easy because we were all on the same page on where I stand in this building and that I want to be part of this going forward,” Lutz told reporters Monday. “When it came to it, it was a little bit of a surprise. I thought everybody was enjoying their bye week. …
“It was as smooth as it could go.”
The exact terms are not yet known, but a source told The Post that Lutz’s new deal puts him in the top 10 for pay among kickers. The group is tightly grouped, as Nos. 3-10 in the league all sit between $5 million and $5.51 million per season in average annual value, according to OvertheCap.com.
Lutz got his first starting job in the NFL in 2016 for Sean Payton in New Orleans. When Payton arrived in Denver, he traded for Lutz at the end of his first training camp.
Lutz signed a two-year deal in March 2024. This summer, knowing his contract was set to expire after the season, Lutz said he made it clear to Denver general manager George Paton that he wanted to finish his career in Denver, “which, hopefully is more than just this contract.”
“The cool part for anyone whose been here the past few years is seeing but also feeling the change that’s going through this building,” Lutz added. “I think that started with new ownership. (CEO and owner Greg Penner and owner Carrie Walton-Penner) have been great. The word ‘no’ really isn’t in their vocabulary for their players. …
“This is the place you want to be.”
The 31-year-old is tied for 16th in field goal conversion rate this year at 85%, just a tick above the league average of 84.8%. He’s hit a number of big ones, though, including three walk-off winners over the course of the Broncos’ eight-game winning streak. His walk-off against Kansas City before the bye came just after he buried a 54-yard, game-tying kick with 4:10 remaining.
Mum on injuries. Head coach Sean Payton was quick to shut down a question Monday about whether cornerback Pat Surtain II (pec) or ILB Alex Singleton (testicular cancer) would return to practice this week.
“I’d never get into that on a Monday. I appreciate the question, though,” Payton said.
Both are candidates to get back on the field as soon as Wednesday.
The original decision to not place Surtain on injured reserve signaled the Broncos thought he’d be in line to play Sunday against Washington. Tight end Nate Adkins (knee) fits into the same timeline as Surtain.
Singleton earlier this month didn’t want to put a timetable on his return to the field after having a cancerous tumor removed Nov. 8, but also said he didn’t think he’d miss much time as long as testing continued to show positive post-operative results.
