Mile High Report
Late last month, wide receiver Courtland Sutton and the Denver Broncos came to terms on a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million with a disclosed $41 million in total guarantees. It took a little while for the precise detail and structure to be given, but Spotrac recently updated their website with the precise information to reflect the true value of Sutton’s new deal.
He was given an $18.5 million signing bonus this season that will be spread throughout the length of his extension for cap purposes. His cap hit this season will be $13.9 million. The $40 million in guarantees includes the aforementioned signing bonus, his 2025 salary, as well as his entire 2026 compensation. The other $1 million is guaranteed for injury only in 2027. While the contract effectively runs through the 2029 season, the team did opt to add two void years toward the end of the deal.
Now that the details have been released, it’s fair to say this is a tremendous deal for both parties. With respect to Sutton, he gets two years of guaranteed security with the Broncos. For Denver, it gives them a lot of flexibility relative to how they want to approach the roster a few years down the road.
Based on the numbers above, they have the ability to part ways with the longtime veteran after the 2026 season and forgo accruing a lot of dead cap space in the process. If that’s a bridge the Broncos end up crossing down the road, shedding the latter portion of Sutton’s deal would help offset some of the larger cap hits that will be there from some of their other deals. It will also help them navigate trying to retain some of their other up-and-coming stars like Nik Bonitto, who could very well become one of the highest paid EDGE rushers in the league.
With the recent contract extensions all updated in their system, Spotrac has the Broncos currently sitting at roughly $25 million in available cap space for the 2025 season. Any unused salary cap space from this season can be rolled over into the 2026 season.
