Broncos reportedly don't plan to trade veteran receiver

Courtland Sutton has been a popular trade candidate for the better part of a year. While the Broncos’ offseason overhaul has already led to plenty of offensive turnover, it sounds like the former second-round receiver will be sticking in Denver.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Broncos have received “multiple trade inquiries” on Sutton. However, the front office doesn’t plan on trading the wideout. 

Sutton was a no-show for the start of Broncos voluntary offseason workouts, with the understanding being that the receiver was seeking a new contract.

However, Sutton is also rehabbing an ankle injury. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the wideout had offseason ankle surgery stemming from an injury he suffered during the regular season finale. It doesn’t sound like the player nor the team are overly concerned about the recovery, and Sutton has been active working out in Florida during the offseason.

Sutton has two years remaining on his contract, including a 2024 campaign where he’s set to earn a base salary of $13M. The Broncos already picked up his $2M guarantee for 2024, but that’s the team’s only current financial commitment to the player. 

None of Sutton’s 2025 earnings are guaranteed. The receiver is set to count for $17.4M against the cap this season, and he’ll have a similar cap hit in 2025.

An acquiring team could look to sign Sutton to a new deal, although with two years remaining and easy outs on the contract, there certainly wouldn’t be any urgency to sign an extension. That’s probably why the Broncos aren’t in a rush to make a trade, and it’s unlikely teams are offering a whole lot for the wideout. 

While Sutton has remained relatively healthy throughout his career — he missed most of the 2020 campaign due to a torn ACL but has otherwise missed three career games — he hasn’t put up top-end production. 

He topped 1,000-yards receiving during his sophomore season, but since returning from his knee injury, he’s averaged only 800 yards per season.

As the Broncos eye an uncertain future on offense, it seems they’re putting some value on Sutton’s continuity. The team already moved on from quarterback Russell Wilson and fellow receiver Jerry Jeudy. 

If things don’t go well at the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Sutton could be the next offensive player to get shipped out.