DONE DEAL: Cincinnati Bengals Have Land Broncos Top Most Experienced Star in a Blockbuster Trade in a Huge Blow to Broncos and her Fan base

The Cincinnati Bengals are counting on a healthy Joe Burrow to lead a resurgent Super Bowl run in 2024, but they could also attempt to backstop a prolific offence with a stronger defence.

Mike Brown, Duke Tobin, and the Bengals have already greatly improved the safety position by bringing back Vonn Bell and adding Geno Stone from the division rival Baltimore Ravens. However, if Cincinnati hopes to complete a comparable makeover and upgrade at cornerback, the trade market may have a missing component with upside.
Possible Cincinnati Bengals – Denver Broncos Patrick Surtain Trade
It’s about to become pricey to win in Cincinnati.

Burrow’s salary cap figure nearly doubles to $46.25 million in 2025, and that’s before the Bengals decide what to do with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and whether to keep or trade field stretcher Tee Higgins.
So it wouldn’t be unexpected if the Bengals threw all of their chips in the middle of the table to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC title this season.
Given that the Bengals are expected to have 11 picks in the forthcoming 2024 NFL Draft, as well as their full allocation of picks in 2025, Brown, Tobin, and Cincinnati can afford to be aggressive. And, with the Broncos preparing to rebuild around an uncertain quarterback situation, Denver may be a perfect trade partner.

This deal could benefit both sides:

The Cincinnati Bengals traded their 2024 first-round pick (No. 18), 2024 third-round pick (No. 80 overall), and 2025 first-round pick.

Denver Broncos Trade: Patrick Surtain, 2024 fourth-round selection (No. 121, via Miami)
Acquiring Surtain would provide the Bengals with a proven player at cornerback, a worthy counterpunch to some of the AFC’s finest receivers, while trading him away in a post-June 1 transaction would provide the Broncos with much-needed cap relief.

If Denver moves Surtain with a post-June 1 designation, the team would gain up to $3.51 million in spending flexibility this season.

What Would Patrick Surtain Bring? Bengals
Surtain’s status as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks is well deserved.

Given the Broncos’ current situation, Surtain’s name has been popular fodder in trade rumours this offseason, which has seen Denver release quarterback Russell Wilson despite taking a $85 million cap hit.

Surtain restricted opposing quarterbacks to a 93.9 passer rating when targeting him last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and finished with a career-high 69 total tackles and one interception in 2023.

The Bengals have plenty of cap space and could easily fit a substantial amount of the guaranteed money on a new Surtain agreement under the cap this season, given Cincinnati’s remaining $24.5 million. Surtain is unquestionably a building block player, but the Broncos are now struggling to afford any bricks.

Surtain would join a stifling cornerback combo opposite Cam Taylor-Britt, who is coming off what could be his best season in the NFL.

A blockbuster trade that lands Surtain would show that the Bengals are focused on putting the pieces together for a legitimate run at the Super Bowl in 2024, while also giving Cincinnati’s defence a cornerstone calibre player for this season and beyond.