ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There has been one healthy player who hasn’t shown up for the Broncos’ offseason program.
Courtland Sutton, the Broncos’ top receiver. Not showing up for the team workouts, even if they’re voluntary, is about the only avenue a player to protest his current contract.
“Well it’s not that he doesn’t like our new uniforms,’’ said Broncos head coach Sean Payton after his team’s OTA practice Tuesday.
Next week is the mandatory minicamp. Should Sutton miss those three days, Tuesday through Thursday, he would be fined each day at a gradual scale, for a total of $101,716. Payton was asked point blank if he expected Sutton to show.
“Yeah, I think he’ll be here for minicamp,’’ Payton said. “I mean, it’s mandatory.’’
Payton then said nice things about Sutton. His work ethic. The Broncos haven’t budged much in negotiations, however. He is scheduled to make $13 million this year, which ranks roughly No. 30 among league receivers, and $13.5 million in 2025.
“I think he’ll be here, yeah,’’ Payton said. “But I don’t know that for sure.”
Spiking the significance of Sutton’s absence this offseason is the Broncos have a new quarterback in rookie Bo Nix. And the next throw Nix makes in Sutton’s direction will be his first.
Tuesday was the third OTA practice open to the media. Zach Wilson rotated with the first string offense. Let’s just say Wilson has a ways to go.
Did the Broncos acquire Wilson – in a late-round swap of draft picks -- knowing he would need quarterback rehab after three seasons with the seemingly ever-perplexing New York Jets?
“We just felt like, ‘Man, we’d love to work with this guy,’’’ Payton said. “It wasn’t too long ago we remembered grading him. Felt the investment was worth it relative to his skill set and his talent.”
Jarrett Stidham again had the best day Tuesday. He worked with the No. 2 offense.
But Nix continues to play better than you’d expect of a rookie. Sean Payton was asked to compare Nix with a previous QB he coached, Drew Brees.
“They’re personalities are different,’’ Payton said before talking about all the quarterbacks and then winding up where the similarity is most profound. “He locates the ball well. He’s accurate. And I think Drew was.”
What Bo could use now is some target practice with Courtland.
>>Video below: Klis & Tell: Courtland Sutton holding out from Broncos workouts
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