ENGLEWOOD, Colo — Bo Nix elevates the Courtland Sutton situation a notch or two.
Nix is the Denver Broncos’ first-round rookie quarterback. Sutton is the Broncos’ No. 1 receiver.
Nix is among the rookies who will join the veteran players in on-field workouts for the first time Monday while Sutton is sending a message to the team he’d like a reworked contract – i.e. more money – by staying away from the team’s voluntary offseason program.
Sutton had not attended the team's first 16 offseason workout sessions and he wasn't around Monday for the start of Phase II's week three (individual and group instruction; walkthrough-pace in team periods).
"I mean, it’s 100 percent voluntary,'' Broncos general manager George Paton said three weeks ago at a pre-draft press conference. "Sean has talked to Courtland; I’ve talked to Courtland. He’s in a good place, and I’ll just leave it at that."
While the offseason program is voluntary for players, Paton and Broncos head coach Sean Payton no doubt would like Nix to start working with Sutton on pass-route timing, especially during the 10 OTA practices that begin next week. For that matter, two other Broncos’ quarterbacks, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, could use time working with Sutton, also.
Young gun Nix, though, is whom the Broncos have pushed in all their chips.
To review Sutton’s situation: He has two years left on his contract with roughly $13.1 million — $2 million of which is fully guaranteed – due in 2024 and $13.5 million in 2025, none of which is guaranteed.
Some reasons why Sutton believes he deserves more
1. His 10 touchdown catches last year were tied for fourth in the NFL last season.
2. His stats may well have been better overall had he not been forced to adjust to four head coaches, five offensive coordinators and 9 starting quarterbacks during his first six seasons.
3. The market has changed. Darnell Mooney, who didn’t surpass 40 catches or 500 years in any of the past two years, is getting paid $17.5 million this year by the Atlanta Falcons. Jerry Jeudy, who mostly played Robin to Sutton’s Batman for the Broncos the past three years, is getting $19 million this year from Cleveland.
4. Following the recent purge of several team leaders like Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Josey Jewell and Lloyd Cushenberry III, Sutton is now arguably the Alpha Male in the Broncos’ locker room. When a leader is unhappy, it can affect the locker room.
5. Renegotiating a contract with two years left on the contract is not unprecedented in the NFL. It's been done this offseason for Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles' receiver A.J. Brown.
Some reasons why the team is balking at paying Sutton more
1. Sutton currently ranks No. 25 in receiver pay for 2024. Even with his 10 TDs last season, Sutton ranked tied for 57th in the NFL with 59 catches and 44th with 772 yards.
2. In the first 1½ seasons after he received a four-year, $60 million extension midway through the 2021 season, Sutton’s production did not meet contract’s expectations. He has not surpassed 65 catches or 850 yards since his breakout 2019 season.
3. After deciding to eat $37.79 million of Russell Wilson’s salary and $53 million in cap space this year, the Broncos had to make some tough budget decisions. When it comes to reworking contracts for their own players, cornerback Pat Surtain II and right guard Quinn Meinerz from their 2021 draft class figure to be first in line and left tackle Garett Bolles is in the final year of his contract.
So where does that leave the team and the player? Every once in a while, both sides can be right and it can still come out wrong. Communication between the two sides can be characterized as professional. Each side may be annoyed with the other but communication has been respectful.
While the presence of Nix with the entire team brings notice to Sutton's absence, the situation would ratchet up if he skips the mandatory minicamp June 11-13, which would incur close to $100,000 in fines.
Meanwhile, the Broncos added considerable depth to the receiver position this offseason, even after trading away Jeudy. Josh Reynolds was added through free agency, Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele were draft picks and veteran Tim Patrick is returning from injury.
Not that any of them are ready to replace Sutton as the No. 1 receiver.
A trade does not seem to be an option. It's worth noting Sutton is not demanding a trade, which is fine because the Broncos aren't trading him. The time to have entertained this option was during the draft and that passed without any talk of a trade. And so Sutton will continue working out on his own in Florida.
A reworked contract also is not on the table, at least not yet. Patience is the strategy for both sides. If the Broncos give a new deal to Sutton, Bolles would have reason to knock on George Paton's door the next day. And then Surtain and then Meinerz.
Problem is, waiting one another out means Nix – or Stidham or Zach Wilson – will not be throwing passes to Sutton this offseason.
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