ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It took almost the entire interview with Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton to ask the $101,716 question, but Zac Stevens of DNVR got to it in at the tail end.
Will Sutton be at the Broncos' mandatory minicamp next week?
"I'll be there,'' Sutton said. "It's been killing me not being able to be at OTAs. This has been a very different offseason than I've been a part of since I've been in the league. Anybody that knows me and anybody that's played with me understands that I love this game. I love the game of ball. I give any and everything that I possibly can when it comes to the preparation, when it comes to the competition of football. Man, I give ... keeping it PG, the boys understand I will give that up to get us back into the playoffs and go play for a Super Bowl."
Sutton skipped the entire voluntary team workouts this offseason as a way to let the Broncos know he wanted his contract redone. That didn't happen. He did work out in Florida, where he was also rehabilitating from end-of-season ankle surgery.
From Tuesday: Payton expects Sutton for mandatory minicamp
But now with the collective bargaining agreement fining players $101,716 for missing the three-day mandatory minicamp next week, Sutton says he is returning.
“Court is back in town supporting the Healthy Swings HR Derby event and will be at mandatory minicamp," a source close to Sutton told 9NEWS Thursday. "He isn’t in the business of giving money away and still feels he has earned the respect of a contract adjustment as a leader of the Broncos.”
“Nothing has changed on that front," the source said.
DNVR had a prearranged interview with Sutton in part so he could promote the UCHealth Healthy Swings Home Run Derby he will participate in Wednesday at Coors Field, along with 9 of his teammates. Sutton was Zoomed in with a podcast panel that included Stevens, Henry Chisolm and former Broncos linebacker Todd Davis. The timing for the interview couldn't have been better as Sutton has been a hot topic for the Broncos because of his absence from OTAs and then the revelation he will end his unofficial holdout. Sutton was not asked about his unofficial holdout during the interview but other topics were covered.
Sutton said he has been watching tape of the Broncos' offseason practices and has come away impressed with rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
"The things Bo does very well and things I do very well can allow us to have success," Sutton said.
He said it was difficult when his previous quarterback, Russell Wilson, was released in March.
"It was a tough pill to swallow,'' said Sutton, who caught 10 touchdown passes from Wilson in 15 games last season. "You see the writing on the wall, you hear the murmurs that go on at the end of the season and going into the beginning part of the offseason. ... At the end of the day they're always going to say business is business. There's no hard feelings.
"I'm so happy for Russ -- for him to get picked up [by Pittsburgh] as soon as he did I think speaks to the type of caliber player he is. I think it speaks to caliber of person he is. The way he goes about his work and his business I think that's something Pittsburgh saw and ultimately couldn't pass up on. I'm excited to see what Russ does this upcoming season. I think he's going to have a lot of success. ...
"I hope that he doesn't have that Russ magic rolling whenever they come here, whenever they come to Empower [Week 2, Sept. 15] but I'm looking forward to watching Russ finish his career.''
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