Broncos CB Pat Surtain II on Playing WR Like Travis Hunter: 'Why Not?'

Is this something the Denver Broncos will seriously consider?

Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) gestures after a play in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Although Colorado Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter isn't the first to do it, being a prolific two-way star seems to be inspiring the most feared cornerback in the NFL. Denver Broncos All-Pro and possible Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II has clearly been motivated by Hunter, who's played in his backyard in Boulder, CO, to seek an offensive role perhaps.

“Why not?” Surtain told Catie Chesire of Westword. “Put me at receiver. Let me make a couple plays here and there. I could do it. Whatever route you need me to, whatever you need me to do, I'm there. …Me at receiver is very dynamic. Playing cornerback and going up against the top wideouts of the game each and every week, I think that would definitely help my case out even more.”

While there's little doubt that Surtain could play wide receiver, there's very little reason to believe this presents a serious "sends-message-to-Broncos" appeal. Plus, Surtain is smart enough to know how his bread gets buttered, and it's as a guy who breaks up and intercepts passes, not as one who catches them. And the Broncos just sunk nearly $100 million into him.

After all, why would Surtain willingly subject himself (let alone the Broncos) to the increased potential for injury by playing a position he won't have time to specialize in? I get it; he's a phenomenal athlete and much of what he told Westword is likely tongue-in-cheek, but the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze for the Broncos if we're to examine this through a serious lens.

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Time will tell if Surtain brings home the DPoY award, but the Broncos haven't had a player do so since Hall-of-Famer Randy Gradishar in 1978, nearly a half-century ago. Surtain is a prized commodity, so outside of giving him the Champ Bailey treatment that Mike Shanahan did back in 2004 and letting him run a couple of routes in a game early in the season, the Broncos will be content with deploying the All-Pro as a blanket to take away one side of the field for opponents.

It's interesting how Hunter is already influencing stars in the NFL, though. Deion Sanders famously played both ways, but it wasn't permanent, and the NFL has evolved since then to hyper-protect its best players and to emphasize positional specialization.

If nothing else, Surtain's words prove he has the heart of a football player, and that's what attracted the Broncos to him in the first place back in 2021. Honestly, there's little doubt that Surtain could play receiver at a high level in the NFL, but at what cost? The Broncos aren't looking for an answer to that question when he's about to bring home the DPoY award.

Then again, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has always been a maverick of sorts, so we shouldn't rule anything out on Surtain suddenly contributing on offense. Just don't expect to see it.

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