The Denver Broncos have a big decision to make on wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who's entering a contract year. Such uncertainty isn't always fortuitous for a wideout entering his age-30 season, but Sutton brings some unique attributes to the table.
“I think Courtland, he’s a resource for the team from a leadership perspective," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said on Thursday. "There’s a work ethic, and a toughness and a consistency day-to-day that I think is a great benefit to a young quarterback.”
Production, work ethic, toughness, consistency, and leadership. These are valuable traits in an NFL wide receiver, regardless of age.
There's no doubt that Sutton quickly became Bo Nix's favorite target and security blanket during the quarterback's rookie season. With Nix throwing him the rock, Sutton eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second time in his career.
With Sutton catching Nix's passes, he threw for a franchise rookie record 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns — the second-most passing scores for a rookie in NFL history. This symbiosis epitomizes the quarterback-receiver relationship, and the Broncos' duo could be on the brink of something special.
Nix and Sutton's bond seems to stretch beyond the field, as the two have been seen in public together this offseason, attending Denver Nuggets games and having fun. The Broncos would be remiss to even risk breaking such a bond.
Sutton will get paid again. The team's second-round pick in 2018, Sutton cut his teeth as a rookie behind the late Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders — two Super Bowl 50 heroes and highly decorated receivers.
By 2019, both Thomas and Sanders were gone, and Sutton became the de facto No. 1 receiver. Despite rampant quarterback instability, Sutton totaled nearly 1,200 receiving yards and six touchdowns on the way to his first Pro Bowl selection. Very impressive, considering he caught passes that year from three different starting quarterbacks, including a rookie.
Calamity would strike Sutton the following season when he tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 campaign. His next two seasons weren't anything to write home about, though he showed tremendous grit. And once again, his quarterback situation wasn't favorable.
The Broncos gave Sutton his second contract in the middle of the 2021 season after he'd worked back from that ACL; a four-year, $60 million extension. 2025 is the last year on the books.
When Payton arrived in 2023, Sutton's outlook improved, even though Russell Wilson was still his quarterback. Sutton posted a career-high 10 touchdowns, making some spectacular scoring grabs in critical moments.
Nix was the fix, though, giving Sutton the volume of targets (with accuracy) to produce yardage at a high level once again. He and Sutton seem to have a bright future together, but the Broncos have to figure out what a fair contract looks like for a soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver.
Whatever the deal looks like, based on everything we've heard publicly from Payton and Broncos GM George Paton this offseason, the team seems committed to extending its No. 1 receiver. Sutton sounded confident in a new deal when he spoke on the issue back in April, and it's worth mentioning that he reported for the Broncos' two voluntary minicamps this offseason, after skipping both last year.
“My team has had a really good conversation with the guys up there in the front office, and I think it’s working in the right direction,” Sutton said. “Ultimately, you just want to know you’re working in the right direction. I think they see and have seen what I’ve brought to the team. I’m open and optimistic about the fact that I’ll be able to be here for the rest of my career.”
Denver Broncos On SI expect a deal to get done. It'll probably come before the season starts, but don't rule out an in-season deal, either. That's how Sutton's last extension shook out.
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The sooner the Broncos get a deal done the better, though, because an extension offers the team opportunities to lower Sutton's 2025 salary-cap hit, which is $20.2 million, even though his salary is $13.5 million.
