Champ Bailey Backs Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II for DPoY Award

The NFL Honors ceremony is where all the league's prestigious awards are handed out, and the Hall-of-Fame class is announced. A few Denver Broncos are up for the Associated Press' end-of-season NFL awards, including quarterback Bo Nix (Offensive Rookie of the Year), Sean Payton (Coach of the Year), and cornerback Patrick Surtain II (Defensive Player of the Year).

Of the Broncos in the running, Surtain has the best chance of winning his award. It would seem Broncos Hall-of-Fame cornerback Champ Bailey agrees. 

In New Orleans on Radio Row, the team website's Elisa Hernandez met with Bailey to ask him about Surtain’s nominations and his play. Bailey responded immediately, “Well, first off, he better win.” It's a sentiment shared by Broncos country. 

“He’s been great. I mean, he’s only gotten better every year," Bailey told Hernandez. "He is exactly what you expect from somebody you draft. You come in, you learn, and you just ball out, and the guys—he's the cream of the crop. He’s not doing anything I didn’t expect from him, so I expect him to be recognized accordingly.”

Surtain has been a great player for the Broncos and continues to improve yearly. There is a stigma for this award that he has to break, which hasn’t been done since 2019. That stigma? Sacks are better than shutting down receivers.

That may be hard to overcome as T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, and Trey Hendrickson (all pass rushers) are also in the running for the DPoY award as pass rushers. Linebacker Zach Baun is the fifth finalist, and he's in the same boat as Surtain with overcoming the sack artists. 

Surtain has grown to become a leader and team captain, as has his entire NFL skill set. Bailey sees Surtain as a "pro's pro."

“He's a pros pro, man," Bailey told Hernandez. "I’m just happy with the way he carries himself. How he plays every week.”

If Surtain can stay focused despite being tasked with one tough matchup after another, and keeps the outside noise at bay, the sky is the limit for the Broncos' shutdown corner.

“And this is just an example or at least a demonstration of the work he is putting in," Bailey said. "I know he’s focused on his work, and that's what really makes you great. Just what you do in between those moments. And the guy shows up every week, showing you exactly how he's working.”

Surtain faced some of the best receivers in the NFL this past season and delivered an outstanding campaign. You can nitpick his interception tally (Stephon Gilmore had six picks in 2019 when he won the DPoY award). While Surtain only has four interceptions, five fewer than the NFL leader, he shut down his target consistently. 

You can’t put a stat on Surtain being the straw that stirs the drink for the Broncos' defensive success, which included 63 sacks in the regular season, nine more than the next-highest team. Surtain didn’t register the sacks, but he sure made an impact on his teammates getting them. 

Bailey is right about many things, including how Surtain should win the DPoY award on Thursday night. NFL Honors kicks off at 7 pm MDT and will be televised on FOX and NFL Network.