The Denver Broncos have exercised their option for a fifth season on cornerback Patrick Surtain II’s rookie contract, the NFL team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

By picking up the option, the Broncos will have the former Alabama All-American under contract through the 2025 season. The option also came with a guaranteed salary for Surtain in his fifth season of $19.802 million.

Surtain joined Denver as the ninth choice in the 2021 NFL Draft. Each first-round draft pick signs a four-year contract that carries a team option for a fifth season. But that option must be exercised before the player’s fourth season. For the 2021 first-rounders, the deadline to do so arrives on May 2.

If Surtain had been a run-of-the-mill cornerback in his first three seasons, the price tag on the fifth-year option would have been $13.377 million — $6.425 million less than Denver will be paying.

But in his three seasons, Surtain already has been picked for the Pro Bowl twice and been first-team All-Pro once.

Fifth-year options come in four designations, with Surtain in the most expensive class – players who have been selected for at least two Pro Bowls on the original ballot for the all-star event in their first three seasons.

The other levels are for one-time Pro Bowlers, players who have not been Pro Bowlers but have played at least 75 percent of the offensive or defensive snaps in two seasons or 50 percent of the overall snaps in three seasons and players who have not reached the Pro Bowl or the playing-time standards.

For Surtain, the value of his fifth-year option is equal to that of the non-exclusive franchise-tag tender, which is calculated using the five highest salaries at a position. That’s nearly as much money for the 2025 season as the entirety of Surtain’s current four-year contract, which has a $20.963 million value.

Surtain has played in all but one game in his career and been on the field for 3,129 defense snaps in three seasons. He has seven interceptions, 36 passes defended and 187 tackles.

The Denver chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America chose Surtain as the winner of the Demaryius Thomas Team MVP Award for the 2023 season.

At Alabama, Surtain earned unanimous All-American recognition and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2020, when the Crimson Tide captured the CFP national championship with an undefeated record.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.