ENFIELD, U.K. — When he was growing up, Nik Bonitto watched Von Miller dominate on Sundays.
Now, he's surpassing him in certain areas of the Broncos' record book.
The Broncos' current star pass-rusher, who was just named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career, has recorded seven sacks through the first five games of 2025. That marks the second-most quarterback takedowns by a Bronco through five weeks of an NFL season, trailing only Elvis Dumervil.
On Sunday against the Jets, Bonitto can become the first NFL player since 2013 with at least 1.5 sacks in four consecutive games — and he currently leads the NFL in sacks. And if Bonitto's success continues over the course of the season, he could challenge Miller's single-season sack record of 18.5 quarterback takedowns. Through five games, Bonitto is on pace to record nearly 24 sacks.
Breaking that record could be particularly sweet for Bonitto, who said he didn't cheer for a particular NFL team when he was young. Instead, he cheered for Miller.
"I always watched Von growing up," Bonitto said Thursday at Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground. "Just seeing where he was at, to kind of be like, 'Dang, one day maybe I can be in those shoes,' it'd be pretty cool."
Bonitto said he remembers watching Miller's dominant performance in the 2015 AFC Championship Game, as he recorded 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, an interception and a pass defensed.
"I'm just going crazy," Bonitto said. "I'm like, 'Damn, Von's the G.O.A.T., bro.' There's so many special moments in his career that I remember watching as a young kid. I kind of was an honorary Broncos fan.
"…Every Sunday, I'm trying to go watch him play, trying to see what he's doing."
Bonitto's current accolades — which he called "pretty dope" to finally earn the honor — weren't always a guarantee. As a rookie second-round pick in 2022, Bonitto started just one game and recorded one full sack. That sack, though, came in Wembley Stadium during the Broncos' game in London against the Jaguars.
On the heels of a 2.5-sack performance, Bonitto said it's fitting to return to London with his current success.
"It was a really cool moment," Bonitto said. "After that [sack], it kind of just went black. I was celebrating so hard. … That is kind of crazy. It's like a full-circle moment, for sure."
Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper is one of Bonitto's teammates who has been proud to see him take strides in recent years.
"He's awesome, in every sense of the word," Cooper said. "I think he's the best pass-rusher. I've said this before, he's been [on the] top of this league for a while. His instincts are off the charts. His get-off. The way he plays the game, the way he approaches [it]. … He's smart out there. He's a great teammate. He's a great dude. You live right and you do things right, the success comes. Everything that he's doing, man, more power to him. I couldn't be more happy, more proud of my guy."
And even Cooper has been well aware of Bonitto surpassing Miller — the Broncos' all-time sack leader — in the number of sacks to start the season.
"For him to be beating Von Miller stats, I'm kind of like, 'Yeah, that's what's up,'" Cooper said. "I always had faith in my dude — always."
For Bonitto, the recent success has been the reward for sticking to the process.
"I would say, 'Stay the course,'" Bonitto said of his advice to his rookie self. "A lot of times in life, you can get tied into results. I kind of fell into that a little bit, not getting the production I wanted that year or maybe the snap counts. Just continuously trying to get better and find ways to continue to grow."
Now, Bonitto's sack count continues to grow — and with each week, he grows closer to putting his name in or above Miller's territory.
