If you haven’t already heard, the Denver Broncos have ponied up more than $43 million in guaranteed money to keep linebacker/defensive end Elvis Dumervil signed through 2015.

Dumervil accepted a five-year, $61.5 million extension, making him one of the highest paid defenders in the NFL, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Despite being somewhat undersized as a pass-rusher, Dumervil has dominated the position, racking up an NFL-best 17 sacks last year even though he was playing linebacker for the first time in his professional career.

The negotiations lasted most of the spring and summer, and with training camp starting in less than a week, the deal is crucial.

It helps that Dumervil has handled the situation professionally throughout, taking part in optional team activities despite being unhappy with the one-year, $3.1 million deal the team initially offered.

And there’s another dose of good news in Broncos land. John Elway will play a more prominent, official role with the team, reports The Associated Press. Elway thinks the time is right to help the team with marketing, and he’ll eventually show up to more practices to give advice, with a future goal of owning part of the team.

Perhaps Elway can help the Broncos figure out how to get Tim Tebow to sign a contract and avoid an embarrassing holdout. The Denver Post says the holy roller may reluctantly stay away from the team if the two sides can’t agree on a contract by next Wednesday, the day rookies are set to show up at training camp.