Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

WR Courtland Sutton's holdout is forcing Broncos' hand

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 5/14/24

Unsurprisingly, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton was a no-show when veterans joined rookies for on-field work on Monday.

Mike Klis of KUSA-TV in Denver reported the former Pro Bowler is working out in Florida and has not attended the team's voluntary offseason program, which started in April.

Sutton is making it clear he wants a new contract. The 28-year-old has two years remaining on a four-year, $60.8M deal, but only $2M is guaranteed.

Whether the Broncos will give him a new deal remains to be seen. Over The Cap estimates Denver has $8.83M in cap room, meaning it's not in a position to hand out massive extensions.

Last season, the Broncos finished 24th in the league in passing yards (3,262). This offseason, they dealt WR Jerry Jeudy, a former first-round pick, to the Cleveland Browns. However, don't rule out Denver trading Sutton.

COURTLAND SUTTON TOE DRAG TOUCHDOWN.

: #DENvsBUF on ESPN/ABC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/J3bHxYOoK2 pic.twitter.com/92QDtbHv70
— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2023

WR-needy teams (e.g., the Pittsburgh Steelers or Buffalo Bills) may be interested in Sutton, who tied for fourth in the league in TD catches (10 in 16 games) last season. Trading him with a post-June 1 designation would save $13.57M in cap room.

Plus, the Broncos may feel more comfortable about their WR depth after drafting Oregon WR Troy Franklin with the 104th overall pick. Over the past two seasons with the Ducks, Franklin developed a repertoire with Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix (pick No. 12), logging 142 receptions for 2,274 yards and 23 TD catches.

"And now a deep shot..."

46-yard connection from @BoNix10 to @TroooyyyyyyTroy

ORE 28, STAN 6 (Q3 | 8:54)#GoDucks

@Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/jHGcFUbC9M
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) October 1, 2023

Regardless, the Broncos shouldn't dilly-dally and must determine whether they want to pay Sutton or move him. This potential distraction could linger over the club throughout the offseason.

More must-reads: