The Denver Broncos could very well find themselves in an unwitting rebuilding year in 2024 if the trio of quarterbacks vying for the starting spot — Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix — don’t work out.
That would mean several high-profile Broncos might be up for grabs via trade, which is something Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks could happen by reuniting current Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton with former Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sutton is currently seeking a raise on the 4-year, $60.8 million contract extension he signed in Nov. 2021 that runs through the end of the 2025 season.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers got themselves a new quarterback when they signed Russell Wilson in free agency,” Knox wrote. “But they lack proven receiver depth behind George Pickens and may make a move to add another pass-catcher this offseason … If the Steelers do make a move, they could reunite Wilson with former Denver Broncos teammate Courtland Sutton.”
Wilson was a 9-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion for the Seattle Seahawks before they traded him to the Broncos in a blockbuster deal before the 2022 season.
After Wilson signed a 5-year, $245 million contract extension with Denver he led the NFL’s worst scoring offense in 2022 and was benched in 2023 before being released in the offseason and signing a one-year contract with the Steelers.
Sutton, Wilson Had Good Connection in Denver
One of the players Wilson did forge a connection with during his two years in Denver was Sutton, who had the second-best receiving season of his career in 2022 with 64 receptions for 823 yards and 2 touchdowns in just 14 games.
Sutton was one of the few Broncos who came to Wilson’s defense after his release.
“I think he’s going to have a lot of success (in Pittsburgh),” Sutton told the DNVR Sports Podcast . “I think Russ is going to continue to build his Hall of Fame legacy. “I say that very boldly because I think he gets a bad rap from a few different things that didn’t go the way we wanted them to go … I think that the quarterback position gets hit the hardest because that’s the guy that controls everything that goes on with the offense. And when we as an offense weren’t doing very well, I think he caught the wrath of it.”
Sutton was the leading wide receiver for the Broncos in each of Wilson’s two seasons. He’s scheduled to make $13.6 million in 2024 and $14 million in 2025.
Uncertainty at Every Level for Denver in 2024
The Broncos have very little proven talent headed into 2024 outside of head coach Sean Payton, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz and Sutton — you can make an argument everywhere else is anybody’s guess.
Denver drafted a quarterback in the first round (No. 12 overall) with Nix, but if he can’t show he’s a starter immediately there could be problems. Recent history tells us Wilson and Stidham, who have a combined 13-24 record as starters, aren’t the ones to build on last season’s 8-9 record.
“While the Broncos wouldn’t let Sutton go for cheap, this is expected to be a rebuilding year in Denver, so he could become available before the trade deadline,” Knox wrote. “If so, Sutton, who recorded 823 receiving yards with Wilson in 2022, could become the veteran No. 2 receiver the Steelers need.”
