The Denver Broncos have few recognizable names to attach their hopes to in 2024 — a problem that’s been a direct result of disastrous football decisions over the last few years.
One of those few marquee names is also one of the most disgruntled with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who has been openly pining for a reworked contract (and a big raise) in the offseason.
Sutton has two years left on a 4-year, $60.8 million contract extension he signed in Nov. 2021.
The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider has Sutton’s contract as the one that should receive the most attention on the Broncos’ roster headed into 2024.
“The veteran trained away from the team during OTAs, rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery while expressing frustration about contract talks with the Broncos he says have reached a stalemate,” Kosmider said. “The 28-year-old has two years and $26.5 million remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2021, but he only has $2 million left in guarantees. After catching a career-best 10 touchdown passes in 2023, Sutton believes he is due a raise — or at least more guaranteed security.”
Why the Broncos Can’t Spend Big Money
The reason Sutton or any member of the Broncos looking for more money are being held in limbo is the 5-year, $242.5 million contract extension the team gave quarterback Russell Wilson before the 2022 season that included $160 million in guaranteed money.
Wilson was released after two seasons, resulting in an $85 million dead cap hit for the Broncos stretched over 2024 and 2025.
“The Broncos haven’t been in a rush to rework any deals since handing Russell Wilson an ill-fated five-year, $242.5 million extension before the 2022 season, and Sutton has surpassed 830 yards receiving in only one of his six seasons (2019),” Kosmider wrote. “Asked whether he’d hold out during training camp to iterate his push for a new deal, Sutton said, ‘We’ll see.’ ”
Sutton’s lone Pro Bowl season in 2019 was also his only season with over 1,000 receiving yards since the Broncos drafted him in the second round (No. 40 overall) out of SMU in 2018.
Of the nine wide receivers in the NFL currently making between $20 million to $15 million per season, here are the number of 1,000-yard receiving seasons each one has so far in their careers; Mike Evans (10), Keenan Allen (6), Amari Cooper (6), Chris Godwin (4), Diontae Johnson (1), Christian Kirk (1), Jerry Jeudy (0), Tyler Lockett (4) and Sutton (1).
It’s worth pointing out that Jeudy and Sutton were both on the Broncos in 2023.
Broncos Could Be Historically Bad in 2024
The over/under total for the Broncos in 2024 is sitting at 5.5 wins across the board from the major betting websites.
Denver is in the depths of its worst stretch of football since the franchise opened its doors in 1960 but didn’t make the playoffs until 1977. The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season and haven’t had a winning season since going 9-7 in 2016 with the remnants of that Super Bowl team.
In that most recent stretch, Denver went 5-11 twice, in 2017 and 2020, and went 5-12 in 2022. Not counting a pair of strike-shortened seasons in 1982 and 1987, Denver’s worst season since joining the NFL came when they went 4-12 in 2010.
