Throughout the course of the NFL offseason, the Denver Broncos and star wide receiver Courtland Sutton have been locked in a situation regarding the player’s contract. He wants to be paid more, but the Broncos have seemed hesitant to accommodate his request.
Now, as the 2024 NFL season continues to draw closer, there are real concerns about whether or not the two sides can come together and get something done.
Earlier in the offseason, the Broncos made a big trade that sent Jerry Jeudy out of town to the Cleveland Browns. If they’re unable to figure something out with Sutton, their offense will take another big hit.
With a rookie quarterback expected to be the Week 1 starter in Bo Nix, the Broncos need to get something figured out. He will need weapons to work with. Without either Sutton or Jeudy, the going could get real rough really fast.
We’re starting to get some clarity via a new report about what the holdup is between Sutton and the Broncos.
NFL Insider Shares Major Report On Denver Broncos’ Courtland Sutton
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has reported that Sutton wants a pay raise. He is currently scheduled to make a base salary of $13 million, but he’d like to increase that to $15-16 million. That’s not a huge raise, but the Broncos appear to be hesitant to give him that deal.
“He’d like to see that get up, maybe in that $15-$16 million range. We’ll see if they can find a sweet spot.”
Even though the Broncos are hesitant to give him that contract, he is likely more than worth it. He has been a very consistent presence for Denver throughout his career.
During the 2023 season with the Broncos, Sutton ended up playing in 16 of the possible 17 regular season games. He ended up with 59 receptions for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns.
While those numbers are far from being “superstar” numbers, he put them up with the entire offense struggling to remain consistent. He was their clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver and still put up great production. Denver can’t afford to lose that production.
As previously mentioned, rookie quarterback Bo Nix will need a go-to wide receiver. Behind Sutton on the Broncos’ depth chart are Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims Jr. Those two wide receivers are talented, but they are not close to being legitimate No. 1 options.
It will be interesting to see if the two sides are able to get something done prior to the 2024 season. Sutton is a big piece of the Broncos’ game plan for the upcoming season. Hopefully, they’re able to work together and figure out a new deal to keep him in town.
