Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton continues to downplay trade rumors involving wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
On Thursday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the San Francisco 49ers had explored trading for Sutton before signing WR Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million extension. According to the report, the 49ers offered a third-round pick for Sutton and proposed sending Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Broncos turned down the offer.
On Monday, Payton acknowledged that the Broncos had some discussions with the 49ers but downplayed their significance. “I can confirm that in the last three months, multiple teams have reached out about Courtland,” Payton said. “He’s a good player, but the specifics reported might be a bit exaggerated. We didn’t get as far with these discussions as some reports suggest. It’s not something worth commenting on extensively.”
Sutton signed a revised two-year contract on July 24, which includes $1.5 million in incentives, according to OverTheCap.com. Despite this, Denver could still consider trading Sutton, as moving him could save $13.47 million against the cap.
The Broncos are still feeling the effects of releasing former starting quarterback Russell Wilson in March, which led to an $85 million dead cap charge over the next two seasons. Trading Sutton could help alleviate some of this financial strain.
Sutton played a crucial role in Denver’s offense last season, tying for fourth in the league with 10 touchdown catches and recording 59 receptions for 772 yards. With the Broncos’ receiving corps weakened after trading WR Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns in March, Sutton’s presence is even more vital. Apart from Sutton and Jeudy, no other Broncos receiver exceeded 500 yards last year.
With rookie QB Bo Nix needing reliable targets to succeed, Denver might want to retain Sutton unless an exceptionally strong trade offer comes their way.