When it comes to star wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s future with the Denver Broncos, both franchise and fans need ask themselves one simple question: Can the Broncos even win without him in 2025?
If the answer to that even remotely resembles “No,” then the next move needs to be really clear — give Sutton the contract extension he has been seeking since last offseason. According to Spotrac, that might be in the range of a 3-year, $79.7 million extension.
If you think the Broncos will be OK without Sutton, then you might be interested in a trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay that sends Sutton to the New York Jets in exchange for a 2026 fourth round pick and 2027 seventh round pick.
“Injuries and inconsistency have plagued Courtland Sutton for the majority of his NFL journey, one that could be further negatively impacted in 2025 due to the presence of Devaughn Vele,” Kay wrote on June 11. “Vele, an unheralded seventh-round pick last year, is turning heads at training camp and appears to be the heir apparent to Sutton’s No. 1 receiver role. With him waiting in the wings and still having three seasons left on a dirt-cheap rookie deal, Sutton could soon find himself expendable.”
Sutton is in the final season of a 4-year, $60.8 million contract extension he signed in 2021. He’s due $14 million in 2025, which would bring his career earnings to approximately $70 million. He’s also led the Broncos in receiving 4 of the last 6 seasons and is the only Broncos wide receiver to crack 1,000 receiving yards in that time, doing it for the second time in his career in 2024 as the Broncos made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Broncos Smart to Not Offer Extension in 2024
The last year has mad a huge difference for how not only the Broncos but the rest of the NFL view Sutton.
There was little thought the Broncos should have given Sutton the extension he wanted before last season — he had yet to show he was an elite NFL wide receiver — but after putting up 81 receptions for 1,081 yards and 8 touchdowns last season he’s definitely in the conversation.
That’s why USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz urged the Broncos to try and get a deal done with Sutton this offseason.
“After skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason program last year, Sutton reported for mandatory workouts once the team agreed to terms on a restructured contract that featured a short-term pay bump,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote on February 22. “Now, he likely wants more out of Denver given he’s due just $14 million next season, a relatively modest sum for a player who single-handedly powered the receiving corps … An extension could shrink his $20.2 million cap hit for 2025 and ensure that Bo Nix’s top target will remain in place while the Broncos try to build up the roster’s skill-position talent.”
Broncos Can’t Pin WR1 Hopes on Vele
It would be foolish to deal Sutton and pin all of the Broncos’ WR1 hopes on Vele — at the very least the Broncos would want to get back another elite wide receiver in a trade.
Vele, 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, has showed promise but he’s not shown he can handle being the headliner. He was a seventh round pick (No. 235 overall) in 2024 and had 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie in 13 games.
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