Surtain Spills the Tea: ‘We Haven’t Seen Sutton at His Best Yet’—Broncos WR on Thin Ice!

Ever since cornerback Patrick Surtain II was drafted by the Denver Broncos, he's had to compete against his teammate Courtland Sutton on the practice field. That process of iron sharpening iron has helped hone Surtain into a two-time All-Pro and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Sutton's career hasn't been nearly as decorated, but he has certainly benefited from crossing swords with Surtain, and he plays a position that is dependent on another. The quarterback/wide receiver relationship is unlike any other in the NFL. While Sutton has done his part, he's definitely suffered from a lack of stability under center since he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2018.

Perhaps that's why Surtain believes that Broncos Country hasn't seen Sutton's best yet, despite him entering his eighth NFL season. As the veterans reported to Broncos HQ for training camp on Tuesday, Surtain dished on his teammate's outlook and how they make each other better.

“‘Court’ is my brother, so every time we come out here, we're looking to compete and get better," Surtain said of Sutton. "You can just tell each and every year he's looking to get better himself, so I feel like we haven't even seen the best of him yet, even though he's been so great. I think sharpening each other's craft is going to make each other better each and every day, so I'm looking forward to those battles.”

Sutton is coming off back-to-back years of impressive production. Although he failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving in 2023, he did catch a career-high 10 touchdowns with Russell Wilson throwing him the ball.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton clearly knows what he has in Sutton and values the big-bodied type of receiver that he exemplifies. Sutton is more than a possession receiver; he's a bonafide red-zone producer and he has a penchant for converting 50/50 balls into 60/40 or even 70/30, depending on who's passing it to him.

Bo Nix arrived last year via the first round of the draft, and once again, Sutton returned to where he belongs in the 1,000-yard club. It was only Sutton's second career 1,000-yard receiving campaign, but the bond and chemistry he has with Nix hints at a productive partnership moving forward, so long as the Broncos keep the veteran wideout around.

Sutton is in the final year of his contract, and it's unclear when (or if) the Broncos will extend him. Payton and GM George Paton have said all the right things, but a new deal has yet to be consummated.

That could happen very soon, though, as Paton's track record for extensions is marked by many summer-time accords, many of which have happened during the early stages of training camp, and some at the end. Paton has also re-signed many key players during the regular season, the most recent of which were left tackle Garett Bolles and rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper last year.

Sutton has been a team guy from the start. He long suffered under the organizational malaise and incompetence that marked the Broncos' eight year playoff drought, but he hung tough, and still found ways to produce, even if it wasn't at an elite level. It's hard to do that with sub-par quarterbacking.

As a second-year player, Sutton garnered his one-and-only Pro Bowl nod in 2019, catching passes from three different starting quarterbacks, including a rookie Drew Lock. In 2020, disaster struck, as Sutton suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 2, and although he was back in the saddle in 2021, it took him a full additional season to get his game legs back beneath him.

Through thick and thin, Sutton has showed up for his team, and he's helped mentor the young players in the Broncos' receiving room. Beyond that, the friendly competition that he has with Surtain has played at least some role in the stalwart's rapid rise to NFL superstardom.

That knife cuts both ways. Surtain has also helped make Sutton better. Competitive symbiosis.

Surtain believes the best is yet to come from Sutton. And with Payton and Nix being the Broncos' first head coach/quarterback combo to return in back-to-back years since John Fox and Peyton Manning back in 2014, that's a positive harbinger of what could be in store for the playmaking wideout.