Age: 29
Free Agency: 2030 (Void)
Accrued Seasons: 4
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 306
- College: Washington
- Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 5, #171 overall (Broncos)
- 2026 Salary Cap Charge: $3,572,000 (1.18% of cap)
- 2026 Cash Payout: $11,000,000 (3.90% of spending)
- 2026 Cash to Cap Ratio: 3.08
- Contract Value: $48,000,000 ($12,000,000 APY)
- Fully Guaranteed Money: $13,366,667
- Contract Ranking: 4/68 at C
Current Contract
(Extension, signed 2025)
(📝: indicates contract trigger occuring during that year)| Year | Age | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Per Game Roster Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap Number | Cap % | Dead Money & Cap Savings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signing | Option | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 28 | $1,100,000 | $471,929 | $0 | $0 | $366,667 | $1,571,929 | 0.6% | |||||
| 2026
March 15: 2027 salary is fully guaranteed; Option due
| 29 | $1,215,000 | $400,000 | $1,957,000 | $0 | $11,000,000 | $3,572,000 | 1.2% | |||||
| 2027
September 1: $3.5M option due; $7.24M option due
| 30 | $1,260,000 | $400,000 | $4,105,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,765,000 | 1.8% | |||||
| 2028
September 1: $3.0M option due; $6.185M option due
| 31 | $1,305,000 | $400,000 | $5,942,000 | $510,000 | $0 | $8,157,000 | 2.3% | |||||
| 2029
September 1: $3.25M option due; $6.805M option due
| 32 | $1,435,000 | $400,000 | $7,953,000 | $510,000 | $0 | $10,298,000 | -- | |||||
| 2030
March 3: Contract voids
| 33 | Void | $0 | $7,953,000 | Void | Void | $19,808,000 | -- | |||||
| 2031 | 34 | Void | $0 | $5,996,000 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2032 | 35 | Void | $0 | $3,848,000 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2033 | 36 | Void | $0 | $2,011,000 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2034 | 37 | Void | $0 | $0 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2035 | 38 | Void | $0 | $0 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2036 | 39 | Void | $0 | $0 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2037 | 40 | Void | $0 | $0 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| 2038 | 41 | Void | $0 | $0 | Void | Void | $0 | -- | |||||
| Total | $6,315,000 | $2,071,929 | $39,765,000 | $1,020,000 | $11,366,667 | $49,171,929 | |||||||
Contract Notes
Luke Wattenberg signed a four year, $48 million contract extension with the Broncos on November 26, 2025. $27.366 million is guarantee of which $13.366 million is fully guaranteed at signing. Wattenberg received a $2 million signing bonus and had the balance of his 2025 salary guaranteed. His $11 million salary is fully guaranteed for 2026. If on the roster on the 5th day of the 2026 league year, his $12 million 2027 salary will be fully guaranteed. On the 5th day of the 2028 league year he can earn a $2 million guarantee on his salary. Each year of the extension contains two option bonuses that can be exercised at the discretion of the Broncos. These options total $9.785 million in 2026, $10.74 million in 2027, $9.185 million in 2028, and $10.055 million in 2029. There are multiple void years for salary cap purposes.
Cash Flows
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Due | $2,000,000 | $11,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $11,000,000 | $12,000,000 |
| Running Cash | $2,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $36,000,000 | $48,000,000 |
Career Earnings: $5,947,716
Career APY: $1,486,929
Contract History
| Team | Contract Type | Status | Year Signed | Yrs | Total | APY | Guarantees | Amount Earned | % Earned | Effective APY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | Drafted | Extended | 2022 | 4 | $3,947,716 | $986,929 | $287,716 | $2,847,716 | 72.1% | $949,239 |
| Broncos | Extension | Active | 2025 | 4 | $48,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $13,366,667 | $3,100,000 | 6.5% | $3,100,000 |
Earnings By Team
| Team | Yrs | Salary | APY | Paid on Cap | % Paid on Cap | Paid as Dead Money | % Paid as Dead Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 4 | $5,947,716 | $1,486,929 | $4,347,716 | 0.0% | $0 | 0.0% |
Season History
| Year | Team | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Option Bonus | Per Game Roster Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap Number | Cap % | Cash Paid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Broncos | $705,000 | $71,929 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $776,929 | 0.4% | $992,716 | ||
| 2023 | Broncos | $870,000 | $71,929 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $941,929 | 0.4% | $870,000 | ||
| 2024 | Broncos | $985,000 | $71,929 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,056,929 | 0.4% | $985,000 | ||
| 2025 | Broncos | $1,100,000 | $471,929 | $0 | $0 | $366,667 | $1,571,929 | 0.6% | $3,100,000 | ||
| 2026 | Broncos | $1,215,000 | $400,000 | $1,957,000 | $0 | $11,000,000 | $3,572,000 | 1.2% | $11,000,000 | ||
| 2027 | Broncos | $1,260,000 | $400,000 | $4,105,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,765,000 | 1.8% | $12,000,000 | ||
| 2028 | Broncos | $1,305,000 | $400,000 | $5,942,000 | $510,000 | $0 | $8,157,000 | 2.3% | $11,000,000 | ||
| 2029 | Broncos | $1,435,000 | $400,000 | $7,953,000 | $510,000 | $0 | $10,298,000 | -- | $12,000,000 | ||
| 2030 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $7,953,000 | $0 | $0 | $19,808,000 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2031 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $5,996,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2032 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $3,848,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2033 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $2,011,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2034 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2035 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2036 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2037 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| 2038 | Broncos | $50,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | -- | $0 | ||
| Total | $458,875,000 | $2,287,716 | $39,765,000 | $1,020,000 | $11,366,667 | $51,947,716 | $51,947,716 | ||||
Statistics
| Year | Games Played | Games Inactive | Snaps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | Special | |||
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | 7.9% | 3.5% |
| 2023 | 16 | 0 | 3.5% | 13.6% |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | 74.8% | 0.5% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 88.2% | 7.0% |
Valuation Diamond
The diamond is a scatterplot graph that visualizes the relation of the player's APY (in green) and performance (in blue, as measured by OTC's Valuations) to the rest of the league at his position. To understand how to read the diamond, read this explainer.
| OTC Valuation | APY | |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | $12,410,000 | $12,000,000 |
| Injury Adjusted | $12,410,000 | $12,000,000 |
Weekly Valuation Trends
The chart below illustrates the trend of the player's weekly OTC Valuations (in blue) from the most recent season, using APY (in green) and, if applicable, cash that is due to the player in the next season (in red) as benchmarks. Weeks not plotted indicate that the player was inactive or on a bye.
To see interactive and more in-depth use of OTC Valuation data, subscribe to OTC Premium.