In the old days, Nik Bonitto’s mentor called him “Mr. Steal Your Girl” to embarrass him.
Smooth. Cool. And quiet. Trainer Javon Gopie loudly bellowed Bonitto’s dubbed nickname in public settings. Gopie loved it. Bonitto hated it.
On Monday, Bonitto was lounging an arm over a bench when the news of the day was broken to him. Teammate Courtland Sutton, the Denver lifer, had agreed to terms on a four-year extension. The first in a logjam of Broncos who need new deals, including Bonitto himself, just got one.
And in that moment, “Mr. Steal Your Girl” turned from introvert to extrovert, his mouth moving faster than his brain.