As the Broncos have rebounded from their disastrous 2022 situation, some of the key players to help them climb out of that hole are entering contract years. Nik Bonitto is a traditional extension candidate, coming off a breakout season ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, while Zach Allen jumped a level ahead of his age-28 season. A significant raise will be necessary for the Broncos to keep the ascending interior D-lineman on a third contract.
Denver, however, has a homegrown player residing as a more interesting extension candidate. Courtland Sutton carries a few unusual markers along his journey to another extension case. Even though Bonitto and Allen qualify as higher-value players due to their ages, Sutton stands as a pivotal piece considering the Broncos’ plan on offense. The former John Elway draftee has waited patiently for a deal, reporting to both OTAs and minicamp after skipping some offseason work while pursuing a raise last year. But he looks to have seen the younger defenders leapfrog him in Denver’s extension queue.
Sutton is going into his age-30 season, and he carries an atypical resume for a No. 1 receiver. The 2018 second-round pick’s two 1,000-yard seasons are spaced five years apart. He helped build an initial extension candidacy by eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2019. That 1,112-yard season still stands as Sutton’s career high; it came with Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen and a rookie-year Drew Lock making starts. A 2020 ACL tear paused Sutton’s ascent, and Denver’s QB quagmire lowered the receiver’s ceiling for an extended stretch.
As the Broncos assembled a low-octane Teddy Bridgewater offense, Sutton and Jerry Jeudy became info-graphic fodder due to Aaron Rodgers‘ interest in being traded to Denver in 2021. The Packers held onto the reigning MVP that year and in 2022, leading the Broncos to their blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. That move brought a spectacular failure, as an overmatched Nathaniel Hackett grounded Denver’s offense to 32nd in 2022. Sean Payton elevated Wilson back to respectability in 2023, however, and that season effectively launched Sutton’s second extension campaign.
Wilson’s 26-touchdown pass, eight-interception season ended ugly, with a contract-based benching taking place. But Wilson-to-Sutton became the team’s most notable connection since the Peyton Manning days; the 6-foot-4 WR totaled 10 TD receptions, displaying a penchant for acrobatic grabs. Sutton then submitted a second…