Denver Broncos star pass-rusher Nick Bonitto is facing a fine from the NFL for his actions late in the first half of his team’s narrow Week 13 victory over the Washington Commanders.
The league Office of Gameday Accountability levied a fine of $11,593 against Bonitto on Saturday for unnecessary roughness, which stemmed from his choice of “pulling a player off the pile” during a scrum with a little more than two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Bonitto, who is among the best edge-defenders in football this season, finished the game in Washington with three tackles, including one tackle for loss, one sack and one quarterback hit. The Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2024 has tallied 22 QB hits, 10.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss across 12 games played this season on a defense that is among the best in the NFL.
Read More: Broncos’ Sean Payton Speaks Out With Surprising Bill Belichick Opinion
Bonitto and the Broncos defense have led Denver to a 10-2 record, which is good enough for a two-game lead in the AFC West Division over the Los Angeles Chargers heading into Week 14. No team has won that division other than the Kansas City Chiefs for the last nine seasons.
The Broncos are headed to the desert for a divisional matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. A road victory would put Denver in a tie for the No. 1 seed in the AFC alongside the New England Patriots (11-2), who are on a bye this week.
A win is critical for the Broncos if they hope to secure a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, as the team plays the Chiefs, who are .500, and three teams with winning records (Packers, Jaguars and Chargers) to finish out the year.
Read More: Broncos Add Another Weapon For Bo Nix by Signing Former Second-Round Pick WR
