Pro Football Rumors
Hovering near the bottom of most power rankings entering last season, the Broncos overcame a record-setting Russell Wilson dead money anchor to make a surprising playoff berth. Viewed as a reach by many, Bo Nix played the lead role in the Broncos snapping an eight-year postseason drought. Nix’s strong finish to his rookie year also provided a ray of hope Denver has finally solved a quarterback issue that had lingered since Peyton Manning‘s retirement.
The Broncos did benefit from drawing the NFC South last season, sweeping the division en route to a 10-7 record. Denver went 2-7 against teams with winning records, and while the team’s showing in Kansas City pointed to the eventual AFC champions having a tough assignment in Week 18 even had they played starters, Sean Payton‘s third Broncos squad has questions to answer about navigating over-.500 opposition. But addressing deficiencies in free agency and the draft have moved the Broncos into a better place roster-wise, creating considerable optimism compared to where they stood entering the past two seasons.
The Broncos did well to pay Sutton before the 2022 wide receiver market transformation, locking down one of their key pass catchers on a four-year extension worth $60MM in November 2021. Sutton did not approach 1,000 yards in 2021 or ’22, but Denver’s offensive struggles as a whole dragged down its receivers in those years. Jerry Jeudy did not make a step forward in Payton’s offense in 2023, but Sutton reestablished himself as the team’s top target by hauling in 10 touchdown receptions — a few of which of the acrobatic variety — to help Wilson (to a degree, at least) bounce back from a career-reshaping 2022. This came during an endless run of Sutton trade rumors, buzz that did not stop until after the 2024 deadline.
Denver discussed Sutton in 2022 deals and dangled him during the ensuing offseason, with Baltimore talks nearly producing a March 2023 swap. Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Ravens interest may have changed the Broncos’ WR plans, as the AFC North team backed off Sutton. The Broncos had sought a second-round pick for the 2018 second-rounder and a first for Jeudy, but they ended up selling low on Jeudy (fifth- and sixth-rounders) in March 2024. The Broncos stuck with Sutton and prioritized him to the point they declined a third-round offer from the 49ers, who would have added Sutton as part of a three-team Brandon Aiyuk trade with the Steelers in August 2024.
The Beckham and Aiyuk what-ifs behind him by Week 1 of last season, Sutton posted his second 1,000-yard year to help Nix to the second-most rookie-year TD passes (29) in NFL history. The 6-foot-4 WR had sought a true raise from the Broncos during the 2024 offseason, but only an incentive package emerged.
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