Courtland Sutton Sends Message to Broncos in Wake of Russ Release
And just like that, things are changing at Denver Broncos HQ. After looming over the Broncos and the fanbase like a thunderhead, the team finally bit the Russell Wilson bullet on Monday, confirming that the veteran quarterback will be released next week.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and the aftershocks are still rolling through the Mile High City. Considering Denver is currently $20 million over the salary cap, the Wilson release is expected to be one of several painful roster moves the team will have to make to become cap-compliant.
One such cap-casualty candidate is veteran wideout Courtland Sutton, who's set to make a $13 million salary in 2024, none of which is guaranteed. While it's possible the Broncos could approach Sutton about tweaking his contract, we don't yet know if it's happened.
What we do know, however, is that Sutton has scrubbed any and all mention of the Broncos from his social media accounts. Here's a look at his X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts.
Sutton removing the Broncos from his social accounts could have nothing to do with the team perhaps approaching him about a contract restructure of some sort. As close as Sutton is to Wilson, it could also be in reaction to the blockbuster announcement on Monday.
It's unclear exactly what's motivating Sutton, but it could be that he's simply looking for a change of NFL scenery. It wouldn't be the first time a wide receiver has used passive/aggressive means to influence a team or grease the wheels of an exodus on social media.
Sutton was Denver's second-round draft pick back in 2018. After playing behind the late, great Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Sutton became the guy for the Broncos in Year 2, going on to earn Pro Bowl honors with nearly 1,200 receiving yards and six touchdowns while catching passes from a trio of quarterbacks in Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen, and Drew Lock.
Sutton suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 the following year, missing nearly all of the 2020 campaign. He struggled to return to form in 2021 and 2022. This past season, it felt like he'd finally earned back that bonafide playmaker profile that made him a household name in 2019.
Although the yardage wasn't there in the Wilson-led iteration of the Sean Payton offense, Sutton finished with 772 receiving yards and a whopping 10 touchdown receptions, averaging 13.1 yards per catch. Sutton has been on the losing end of the Broncos' quarterback carousel since he arrived in 2018, though he's tried to rise above it.
Wilson gave Sutton his first taste of stability, and the Broncos are pulling the rug out from under him, so to speak. However, despite the team's dire salary-cap straits, whoever ends up as the Broncos' next starting quarterback is going to need a wide receiver corps to throw to.
The Broncos are expected to move on from Tim Patrick after he missed two straight seasons due to injury, and the rumor mill continues to swirl around Jerry Jeudy as a potential trade piece. If the Broncos move on from Sutton for any reason, and Patrick, perhaps Jeudy's place with the team would be secure entering his fifth season.
Time will tell. For now, Sutton seems to be sending the Broncos a message of some sort. We'll know what's going on when the new league year begins next week on March 13.
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