The Denver Broncos and Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton reached an amicable resolution in 2024.
That was only after Sutton skipped the voluntary portion of the team’s offseason program
However, the Broncos’ decision then, converting his four-year, $60 million contract into a two-year, $27.5 million pact, set the stage to revisit Sutton’s contract this offseason. And according to the Denver Post’s Luca Evans, the baseline may be $20 million annually.
“Sutton’s value is the easiest to project,” Evans wrote on May 23. “The receiver market, though, has exploded in recent years.
“Sutton sits in a fluid space, on the fringes of presenting a resume as a WR1.”
Sutton, who turns 30 in October, posted the second-most receiving yards (1,081) and touchdowns (8) of his career on a personal-best 81 receptions in 2024. He also played a full slate of regular-season games for the fourth time in his eight seasons.
“I’ll put it this way,” an anonymous NFL source told Evans, speaking on receiver contracts in general. “$20 million-$25 million is the new $10 million-$15 million.”
That is encouraging for the Broncos star, Sutton, whose max single-season salary is $13.5 million.
Courtland Sutton’s Previous Asking Price in Focus
GettyCourtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos reacts after a reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Whether the Broncos and Sutton can find common ground remains unclear. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on “SportsCenter” in May 2024 that Sutton was seeking something in the range of “$15-$16 million” on a new deal. Sutton has a $13.5 million base salary for 2025.
Despite that, Sutton is not planning on following a similar blueprint in 2025 as he did last offseason, when he stayed away from the early portion of the offseason program.
“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 told the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel in comments published on April 12. “I’m open and optimistic about the fact that I’ll be able to be here for the rest of my career.”
Sutton’s decision did not go unnoticed.
“That’s a substantial tone shift and change in approach from a year ago, when Sutton skipped all of the Broncos’ voluntary offseason work,” Gabriel wrote. “When he reported to a mandatory minicamp in June — the only portion of the offseason he could have been fined for missing — he called contract talks between himself and the only organization he’s ever played for a ‘stalemate.’”
Broncos Preparing for Life After Courtland Sutton
GettyPat Bryant #13 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after a touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans.
The Broncos selected Sutton with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he is one of the longest-tenured players on the team. The Broncos have also openly expressed interest in re-signing Sutton to a new contract.
They have simultaneously begun preparing for his eventual departure, whether due to retirement or a more imminent decision.
The Broncos drafted two receivers in 2024, adding them to Marvin Mims Jr., a 2023 pick.
Moreover, the Broncos drafted former Illinois Fighting Illini wideout Pat Bryant in the third round this year. Bryant, whom Broncos head coach Sean Payton compared to former New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas, had the same position coach in college as Sutton.
That is not to say Bryant is Sutton’s replacement, but the Broncos have a wealth of options to choose from should they fail to find common ground again.
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