Wide receiver Courtland Sutton said he and the Broncos have not found a middle ground in contract negotiations.
“We are at a stalemate in a sense,” Sutton said after the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. “But I have confidence and faith that the right thing will be done.”
Sutton will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He has a cap hit of $17.3 million in 2024 and $17.8 million in 2025. However, he doesn’t have any guaranteed money outside of the $2 million for this season, according to Over the Cap.
Sutton didn’t confirm if he will report to training camp next month if his contract situation remains unresolved, but also didn’t sound an alarm that the situation was beyond reconciliation.
“We’ll see what happens. We have a month to be able to get things situated,” said Sutton.
Due to Sutton’s frustrations with his contract, he entertained the idea of missing mandatory minicamp, which would have resulted in a fine for each day not present. But he wanted to be out on the field with his teammates since it wasn’t easy to miss three weeks of organized team activities.
“I wanted to make sure it was known that I was upset about the contract, how the conversation went about, and how the stalemate has persisted,” he said. “I don’t think it was a high consideration (of skipping minicamp) because the point has been made. I’m hoping we can find a solution and get to the bottom of this.”
Sutton said he did not participate in OTAs as he was in Florida rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery. The NFL Network previously reported that Sutton’s absence was connected to him seeking a new deal.
Sutton injured his ankle during Denver’s season-finale against the Las Vegas Raiders in January. He caught one pass on four targets in 28 offensive snaps before exiting the game. After time away from the facility, Sutton said his body feels good.
On Tuesday, he stretched and participated in team drills but was sidelined during the scrimmage period of practice.
“Coach (Sean Payton) and I were on the same page of me staying down there and (continuing) to get my ankle where I need it to (be) so I can ultimately get ready for the season,” Sutton said.
Even after Sutton watched former teammates Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy and Justin Simmons part ways in the offseason, he expressed a desire to stay in Denver for the rest of his career.
Sutton finished tied for second in the league in touchdown receptions (10) in 2023, but he feels there’s more to give to the organization that drafted him in the second round in 2018. He wants to put himself in a position to one day be inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame while helping the team return to the postseason.
He said Denver is hungry to win and doesn’t expect the team’s reset to be a three-year process. Sutton just hopes he will be around to see the Broncos’ plans come to fruition.
“I’ve been told that’s what the game plan is. I’ve also been told other things, so we’ll see what happens,” Sutton said. “…I’ve come to understand they’re always gonna say that it is business, never personal…We gotta move accordingly.”
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