Broncos' Courtland Sutton finally opens up about his contract situation while at mandatory minicamp
Every team has had its fair share of offseason drama from time to time, and the Denver Broncos are no different. They have had drama as well, even during the times they were a team competing for a Super Bowl and ultimately winning one. Even then they had players who didn't agree with things, and […]
Every team has had its fair share of offseason drama from time to time, and the Denver Broncos are no different. They have had drama as well, even during the times they were a team competing for a Super Bowl and ultimately winning one. Even then they had players who didn't agree with things, and so on.
This offseason it has come in the form of their best wide receiver wanting more money. It's as simple as that. No matter how complicated anyone tries to make it. Courtland Sutton wants more guaranteed money, and that's fair, as he does deserve it.
On Tuesday, the Broncos and a handful of other teams all started their mandatory minicamp, which will be their last practice before every team starts training camp. Sutton, who held out of involuntary OTAs, made sure he was at mandatory minicamp.
“I love ball. I love the guys,” Sutton said on Tuesday. “Being able to come out here and watch practice and be around the guys, even just the stretch and move around with them was so much fun and I enjoyed it to the fullest.”
Sutton was fine. He didn't wow anyone and no one seemed to be worried about him based on the way he was performing. But, with him being there, and the attention he had been drawing – it was time to talk about the one thing everyone wants to talk about.
“It’s obviously something that is, has been conversed about, and my team and I have been in contact with the guys upstairs that handle all of that stuff,” said Sutton. “We were kind of going back and forth trying to figure out the best way to kind of find a middle ground for the situation and we are at a stalemate in a sense, but I have confidence and faith that the right thing will be done.”
We recently figured out that Sutton wants a guaranteed $2 million raise. Considering the exceptional performance Courtland Sutton has consistently delivered, his desire to see his current $13.5 million base salary elevated to the $15-$16 million range is not surprising. Despite the challenging circumstances he has faced, including a lackluster team environment, Sutton has managed to maintain his productivity.
Last year was huge for him, as he had his best year to date. But what happened after the season – something that continues to happen, is why Sutton should want more money.
Now, he finally has a rapport with Russell Wilson and the offense is better than it was the year before by a mile, and the team cuts Wilson. So, why would he not want more money? It makes sense, and with the way he played last year, hauling in 10 touchdowns, he just wants to feel more secure in a place he wants to be for the rest of his career.
“I hope that I am a part of the bigger picture," he said when asked about his feelings about the future. "I’ve been told that is what the game plan is. I’ve also been told some other things. We will see what happens. I hope I am able to be a part of the game plan. If it becomes a three or four-year dynasty, then I hope I will be able to be a part of it.”
With mandatory minicamp this week, and Sutton there, he isn't at risk of losing any money. But, if he were to miss any of the training camp, which starts in a few months, he could see a large chunk of change disappear from his pocket.
As of right now, that's still up in the air, though.
“You know we’ll see, we’ll see what happens,” Sutton said when asked if he’ll show up for training camp if his contract negotiations remain at a stalemate. “Got a month to be able to get things situated, hopefully, things get situated because, you know, as you all have heard and I will continue to say this, this is where I want to be. This is home. This is where I want to go hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
"This is the place where I want to retire. This is the place where I, hopefully, want to be able to put enough out, once my career is done, that I can hopefully be able to have a bid at the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. Those are all things that have to be earned. Hopefully, I’ll be able to have the time to continue to showcase that I’m capable of being in that caliber of people.”
Sutton made it an emphasis to show up to minicamp, though, after missing all of the involuntary workouts dealing with his ankle rehab in Florida. So, training camp is something we will just have to wait and see.
“It was definitely something that was considered,” Sutton continued. “I’m not going to say I wasn’t a fan, but, obviously I’m here. That’s the biggest thing. I wanted to make sure that it was known that, ‘Yeah I was upset about how the contract went about, how the conversation went about, how the stalemate has persisted’… It was something that was considered, but I don’t think it was a high consideration just because I think that the point has been made already. I think everyone that needs to know, knows what the situation is. As I said earlier, I hope that we’re able to find a solution and get to the bottom of this because this is where I want to be. Just hoping it’s mutual.”
The fan base wants Sutton there. It's not just about getting Sutton back to Denver, it's about ensuring the team's success. His presence as a safety blanket for rookie quarterback Bo Nix could be a game-changer. The sooner the contract dispute is resolved, the sooner the team can focus on their game plan and work towards their goals.
With the Broncos' rookie class, all signed to contracts now, and the team still has at least $7 million in effective cap space per Spotrac, they should have no problem giving Sutton what he wants. But, something is obviously holding things up.
AFC foe interested in trading for Broncos’ Courtland Sutton
The Broncos have been a popular team throughout the offseason.
