Sources: Broncos sweeten top WR Sutton’s deal

Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterJul 25, 2024, 12:32 PM ET
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — What Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton had called “a stalemate” in June over his contract has now been cured with a tweak to Sutton’s deal.

Sources told ESPN on Thursday that Sutton has had $1.5 million in incentives added to his base salary for this season — $13 million. Sutton already had $500,000 worth of roster bonuses in place in his deal for the season, and $2 million of his base salary had already been guaranteed because he was on the roster at the end of March.

Sutton, who had said at the team’s June minicamp he might consider reporting late to training camp, reported on time with the team’s other veterans earlier this week and has been on the field in his usual spot in the offense for the first two practices of camp Wednesday and Thursday.

“[Broncos general manager George Payton and Sutton’s representatives] spent a lot of time in the summer, just discussing it,” Payton said. “… It’s good to have him back out here. He provides leadership as well as a skill set that we like.”

Sutton and his representatives had hoped, early in the offseason, to have additional money added to the deal. The Broncos, sources said, had resisted adding additional base salary but were willing to talk about the kind of performance bonuses Sutton did eventually receive.

Payton had expressed optimism throughout the team’s offseason program something “would get worked out,” and said Tuesday he expected Sutton to report to training camp on time.

“He and I would have talks just relative to what his summer plans were,” Payton said after Thursday’s practice. “… I don’t think there was a lot of change to how [Sutton’s contract] was structured, but it’s good to have him out there.”

Had Sutton skipped any days of training camp, he could have been fined $50,000 for each missed day, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Sutton, who led the Broncos and was tied for fourth in the league with 10 touchdown receptions last season, had stayed away from the voluntary portions of the Broncos’ offseason program, including conditioning and OTAs.

During minicamp last month, he said he “wanted to make sure it was known, that yeah, I was upset how the contract went about, how the conversation went about, how the stalemate has persisted. But I also want it to be known that I love ball, I love the guys. … Hoping that we’re able to find a solution and get to the bottom of this because this is where I want to be and just hoping that it’s mutual.”

Sutton is in the third year of a four-year, $60.8 million deal he signed during the 2021 season.

The seventh-year veteran, who was the Broncos’ second-round pick in the 2018 draft, also led the Broncos in receptions (59) and yards receiving (772) last season.

Sutton, 28, has 298 receptions for 4,259 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career with the Broncos. His best season came in 2019 when he posted his only 1,000-yard season (1,112), had a career-best 72 receptions and was selected to his only Pro Bowl.