Broncos Urged to Reward WR Courtland Sutton With Training Camp Approaching

Less than two weeks until Denver Broncos training camp begins in earnest, and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton remains un-extended. We've heard nothing but positive remarks from Sutton and the team on the prospect and belief of an extension getting done, but it's yet to manifest.

Sutton has been a good soldier entering a contract year. Unlike last offseason, when he skipped the entire voluntary portion of training program until mandatory minicamp, he attended all of the Broncos' workouts this year.

It's worth mentioning that Sutton was recovering from an offseason surgery last year, and that purportedly played more of a role in his absence from voluntary workouts than any kind of hold-out angling for a new contract or more money. The Broncos did give Sutton more money in 2024, but did not extend him.

With the stage set thusly, NFL.com's Dan Parr is literally rooting for the Broncos to extend sutton and reward him for leading the team in receiving over the past two seasons.

"I know Sutton expressed optimism about his contract talks with the Broncos back in April, but here we are three months later and there’s nary a peep about a new deal getting done. This saga has played out for more than a year, with Sutton skipping voluntary OTAs in 2024 before reporting to mandatory practice and agreeing to a restructured pact that raised his salary last season. He did not skip any sessions this time around, which is why no one has been sounding the alarm," Parr wrote. "Sutton will turn 30 in October and is in the final year of his contract, so there has to be some sense of urgency on his end. I’d like to see him rewarded for leading Denver in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. After all, he’s the go-to guy for second-year QB Bo Nix, and there are not any other well-established wide receivers on the roster."

From the outside, it seems fairly obvious that the Broncos should indeed reward Sutton for his contributions. But internally, it's not that simple. When it comes to extensions and contracts, NFL teams try to avoid the mindset of rewarding a player for services already rendered.

A team wants to extend a player in anticipation of what future returns he can provide. That's where it gets a little more complex for the Broncos and Sutton, since he's entering his age-30 season.

Sutton will cross the dreaded 30 mark in October and while every player is different, there's a reason why that milestone is viewed with trepidation. It can also vary by position, with quarterbacks playing much deeper into their 30s nowadays, and in some cases, offensive tackles having delivered a high level of production that deep into their careers.

A position like wide receiver that depends so much on explosion and speed can be much more vulnerable to the vagaries of Father Time. Now, is there any evidence that Sutton is slowing down? Not really, as his yardage production skyrockted last season, producing the first 1,000-yard receiving campaign since his second year in the league.

The problem is that there's no way for teams to anticipate when and how a player will begin to slow down. Age also manifests through the injury bug; older players tend to get hurt more often and they take much longer to recover.

None of this is to say that the Broncos won't extend Sutton. But it could explain, in part, what may be delaying a new deal.

We've heard rumors that Sutton isn't "inclined" to play the 2025 season on his current $14 million salary, but, again, all of the public rhetoric from the team side and the good-faith showing on the player's side (of attending offseason workouts) don't indicate that a wedge exists between the two camps.

In the final analysis, it wouldn't be surprising to see Sutton get his extension not long after training camp begins where the Broncos can manage the PR and pomp, celebrating the veteran securing the third contract of his tenure with the team. What will that contract look like?

That's hard to say, as salary-cap sites like Spotrac project Sutton's value at $26.6 million/year. That seems a bit high for a player of his age and relative production, but I wouldn't focus too much on the dollars-per-year, but rather the term of the deal.

I'd expect no more than a three-year extension, with only the first one being really guaranteed, giving the Broncos flexibility in the event that Father Time comes calling after the 2026 season when Sutton will then be entering his age-32 season.

However it shakes out, there's no question of Sutton's importance to Nix's ascension and growth. Already established as Nix's security blanket, the Broncos would be wise to ensure that peace of mind for their young quarterback in the short term, at least, while other potential long-term replacement candidates continue to develop, like Pat Bryant and Devaughn Vele.