Let’s break down the question.
Courtland Sutton is the wide receiver one for the Denver Broncos without a shadow of a doubt.
However, that does not stop people around the NFL and some Broncos fans themselves from thinking he is no better than a wide receiver two.
I am firmly in the middle of these two opinions, and class him as a WR1.5 which sounds ridiculous I know.
Sutton has not made it any secret that he wants a new contract with the Broncos, and it is up to the upper echelons of the Broncos organisation to decide if he gets that.
Sutton, who turns 30 this season is entering the final year on his contract, so will be doing all he can to earn that next payday.
I am going to answer my question I set out in the title of this post, at the end of it but first I’ll go through my reasons for and against to give a well rounded argument for you to mull over.
Strong 2024
Sutton is coming off his best season as a Bronco in terms of overall production. He hauled in 81 receptions for a total of 1,081 yards and 8 touchdowns, while forging a strong bond with rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
Sutton has not had a season like that for a while, not since 2019 where he had similar numbers. You could put this lack of production down to the fact Sutton has not had a consistent quarterback for his entire NFL career.
The stats this year are easily the Broncos best on offense, as he led the team in receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns. When Courtland is on it, he is on it, and has the talent to make those 50-50 balls look like 80-20 balls.
Nix connection
It is no secret that Bo Nix trusts Courtland Sutton, and Courtland Sutton believes in Bo Nix. Sutton was very vocal last season in Nix’s ability to be a leader, and for him to become a top tier quarterback in the league.
This trust showed in important moments in games, where Nix would look to Sutton to make those big plays. He was tied for 21st in the league in tight-window receptions meaning the defender was within a yard of him when making the catch.
Another reason this connection showed through last season, was the fact Sutton had 65 more targets than any other Broncos offensive player, leading with 135. This bond can only continue to grow and I can see them making more huge plays over the coming season to really cement the importance to each other.
Leadership
Courtland is one of the biggest voices in that Denver locker room, and is a veteran presence in an otherwise young receiver room. In fact, Sutton is one of the older players on the offense.
He is clearly a player and probably more important, person that the younger guys turn to for advice. A consummate professional no doubt. Does this trait deserve a contract extension? I wouldd think so.
Rosters definitely need these players in order for the younger guys to grow and learn what it takes to be an NFL player. Of course, Sutton learnt from two of the very best in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. There is no wonder why Sutton has tuned out to be the kind of player he is today.
Salary cap
The salary cap is the bane of every NFL team, but it is also the thing that keeps the whole system fair. There is no hiding that the Broncos have to make some big decisions with some big names over the next year.
Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen need extending and they also need to make decisions on Jonathan Franklin Myers and D.J. Jones as they come to the end of their contracts.
Sutton currently has a $20.2m cap hit for the year, with a $13m dead cap hit if they cut him. This is not even an option so there is no need to talk about it.
Courtland has said he is looking for a multi-year extension which would tie him down to Denver for the next couple of years. He is looking to make $20m+ a year, which would make him around the 25th highest paid wide receiver in the NFL.
That is probably where I would put him in terms of talent to be honest. The Broncos maybe even get a bit of a deal there in terms of cost-talent ratio.
Age/Draft
The Broncos have made it no secret that they are looking to go younger, and they are delighted with how the youngsters performed on the team last year. Does this mean there is no room for Sutton at the veteran age of 29 going on 30? Absolutely not.
Like I mentioned above, the rest of the wide receiver room is very young – with the exception of tDevaughn Vele at 27. I like the fact he is a veteran in this room and I like the fact he backs up his leadership with production on the field.
The Broncos could also look to go early in the draft at the wide receiver position and pick one of the premium receivers available such as Tetairoa McMillian, Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden, or Luther Burden III, and then move on from Sutton after the season.
They have shown a desire to get younger, and this move would definitely fit that mould.
So, we are down to the moment where I answer my original question: ‘Does Courtland Sutton deserve a contract extension with the Broncos?’
Well, I would say it is a definite yes, and I expect the Broncos to get it done midseason. George Paton and Sean Payton have not hid the fact that they would like him back, but obviously they are going to say that.
The Broncos brass will need to sort out a number that satisfies both themselves, and Courtland Sutton, but I think it ultimately gets done.
