Broncos cornerback with a ninety six million dollar contract sees his game gear enshrined in Canton sparking buzz about the extraordinary moment that landed him NFL immortality

Football experts are already declaring the Denver Broncos’ defense as one of the league’s best. In addition to having a defensive front that led the league in sacks last season, adding Jahdae Barron fortifies their secondary.

While NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks predicted Barron to become a Pro Bowler, he’s still looking up to Patrick Surtain II. The Associated Press regarded the Broncos’ cornerback as the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year after finishing with 45 tackles, 11 passes defended, four interceptions, and a pick-six.

Getting this prestigious individual award immortalizes Surtain to the Broncos franchise, even if he’s only played for four seasons. Surprisingly, he’s only the second Broncos player to win the award after Randy Gradishar blazed the trail in 1978. Gradishar, a central figure of Denver’s ‘Orange Crush’ defense in the 1970s and the early 80s, entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Therefore, Surtain is on track to follow Gradishar, especially if he maintains this level of play. But with his best years in front of him, Surtain will be linked to Gradishar (for now) by having his football helmet and jersey in Canton.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s official account on X/Twitter posted last May 11, “In recognition of being named the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the Hall of Fame has received a jersey and helmet from Denver @Broncos cornerback @PatSurtainll. Surtain dominated the field all year, shutting down top receivers and proving why he’s one of the league’s elite. Now, his jersey and helmet take their place in the Hall of Fame collection.”

Advanced Stats Prove Surtain’s Exceptional Season

Pro Football Focus regarded the two-time First-Team All-Pro member as the NFL’s best coverage defender in 2024. As John Kosko wrote last January 14, opposing quarterbacks avoided taking several throws in his direction.

However, Kosko noted, “He was targeted just 52 times throughout the season. Despite this, he recorded four interceptions, boasting an impressive 7.7% interception rate per target — the second-best mark in the NFL.”

Pat Surtain II finished the 2024 season with an 83.8 overall grade and an impressive 85.1 coverage grade. He was also an exceptional tackle compared to other players in his position, earning him a 90.5 mark. Likewise, he had a career-high 81.8 run defense grade from 369 snaps.

Offenses dreaded seeing Patrick Surtain II across from them. 🏆

In recognition of being named the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the Hall of Fame has received a jersey and helmet from Denver @Broncos cornerback @PatSurtainll.

Surtain dominated the field all year,… pic.twitter.com/8d0WzO1UbO

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) May 10, 2025

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Surtain had a coverage grade of at least 70 in nine regular-season games. He played his best against their division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, as proven by his coverage grades of 92.1 (Week 5) and 83.2 (Week 12).

To select a specific game where Surtain stood out, receiving yards leader Ja’Marr Chase struggled against him during their 2024 Week 17 matchup. As Next Gen Stats recorded, the Cincinnati Bengals wideout collected six catches for 75 yards against other Broncos defensive backs. However, Chase only had three catches for 27 yards when covered by Surtain.

Broncos’ Top CB Raves About a Swedish Musician

While Surtain has his eyes set on being the NFL’s best cornerback, he also unwinds by listening to music, and he’s particularly fond of one artist. He posted on his X/Twitter account last May 14, “Snoh Aalegra doesn’t get talked about enough mane!”

Snoh Aalegra doesn’t get talked about enough mane !

— Patrick Surtain (@PatSurtainll) May 14, 2025

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Born Shahrzhad Fooladi, Snoh Aalegra is an artist of Roc Nation. She started writing songs when she was nine and had renowned musician Prince as her mentor from 2014 to 2016.

She has four studio albums and was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance during the 2023 Grammy Awards for her song ‘Do 4 Love.’ Now residing in Los Angeles, Aalegra has a fan in the three-time Pro Bowler.