Courtland Sutton continues to be a subject of trade talks.
In the last three months, multiple teams have called the Broncos about trading for the 28-year-old wide receiver, head coach Sean Payton said during a conference call with reporters on Monday morning.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported last week that San Francisco offered a third-round pick for Sutton. The 49ers wanted to add a wide receiver to potentially replace Brandon Aiyuk, who the team was preparing to send to Pittsburgh at the time.
The Broncos declined the offer, according to Russini, and Aiyuk eventually signed a four-year extension through the 2028 season. Payton is aware of the report and said “We didn’t get nearly as far down the road as what may have been reported.”
“It’s insignificant,” Payton said. “For me to comment on every call that comes in to (general manager) George (Paton) or myself would be ludicrous.”
As teams asked about Sutton’s availability, he was displeased with his contract situation in Denver. Both sides found a solution in July, agreeing to add up to $1.5 million in achievable incentives for 2024, a source told The Denver Post.
Sutton has a $13 million base salary this year and can earn up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $100,000 in other bonuses, according to OvertheCap data. There are two years left on his deal at cap hits of $17.3 million (2024) and $17.8 million (2025), but just $2 million of that is guaranteed, and none is guaranteed beyond this season.
Despite Sutton’s previous dissatisfaction with his deal and the Broncos’ lack of success since he was drafted in 2018, he has remained committed to the organization and wants to be a part of the team’s future.
“I hope I am able to be a part of the game plan,” Sutton said in June. “I also don’t see that it will be a soft reset. I’m praying and (staying) in guys’ ears that this is not going to be a three-year process. We want to win right now.”
Sutton is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, totaling 59 catches for 772 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. His performance in 2024 could determine how well starting quarterback Bo Nix will perform during his rookie season.
Sutton is likely Denver’s best offensive weapon, but his leadership has also been invaluable.
“He’s a big guy for us. … A real leader that has seen a lot of ball,” wide receiver Josh Reynolds said. “It’s (good) to have that conversation with him about defenses, players (and) scheme. Being able to talk to him about what he sees compared to what I see is awesome.”
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Originally Published: September 2, 2024 at 2:33 p.m.
