Why Courtland Sutton’s Latest Instagram Post Has Fans Talking

Courtland Sutton is coming off one of the best years of his career. Individually, the veteran wide receiver posted his third career 1,000-yard campaign, while the Denver Broncos won the AFC West with 14 victories, earning the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Sutton was elected to the Pro Bowl for just the second time in his career. And for the first time since the Broncos drafted him in the second round back in 2018, he was part of a playoff victory.

And yet, one of Sutton's recent posts on Instagram has fans curious about the meaning. He took to his Instagram account and posted a highlight video of 2025 with the caption: "Chapter closed."

What it Means

Some have interpreted Sutton's caption ominously, as if he's closing his chapter in Denver. That couldn't be further from the truth, though. He's likely just punctuating the best individual and collective year of his career with this post so that he and the Broncos can move on to 2026.

Let's not forget that Sutton signed a four-year, $92 million extension just last summer. It was his third contract with the Broncos. The contract came with $41 million in guarantees.

Sutton went on to produce at a high level and the Broncos tied the franchise's single-season record for wins, with 14. He's not going anywhere.

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Great Bond With Nix

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) and quarterback Bo Nix (10) warm up before the game. — Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) and quarterback Bo Nix (10) warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sutton has a great relationship with quarterback Bo Nix. The duo is just scratching the surface of what it's capable of.

Before Nix arrived in Denver, Sutton had exactly one 1,000-yard receiving campaign in his carrer. He's eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in each year that Nix has been his quarterback.

The proverbial proof is in the pudding. The Broncos have a great quarterback/receiver duo and that's not about to change.

Room for Improvement

However, that doesn't mean that Sutton couldn't improve, nor does it preclude the Broncos from striving to get better at wide receiver. The fly in the ointment for Sutton last season were the drops.

He had too many, including in the playoffs. Sean Payton wasn't happy with the fact that the Broncos finished with the second-most dropped passes in the NFL last year.

Payton sent a message to everyone by firing wide receivers coach Keary Colbert. Sutton certainly received it loud and clear, but it wasn't exactly a personal indictment.

The Broncos have drafted a wide receiver in each of the past three years that Payton has been head coach, with Marvin Mims Jr. being the highest draft pick (Round 2). Despite this, Mims is the fourth guy in the wide receiver pecking order, despite being uber-impactful whenever he's called upon.

The Broncos' reluctance to use Mims more in the offense can only be attributed to the value he brings as a two-time All-Pro punt returner. But that's just me guessing.

The point is that, beyond Sutton, the receiver with the biggest bang-for-buck impact over the past two years has been Mims. You'd think the Broncos would want to carve out a bigger role for him, especially after how he performed in the playoffs, but time will tell.

The Broncos need a receiver who can challenge Sutton for the No. 1 role. Not to replace Sutton, but to give Nix another explosive option. Ideally, someone who can take over a game.

Such receivers don't grow on trees. But the Broncos will be scouting the 2026 NFL draft class for such a player, and seeing what the free-agent market kicks loose next month.

The Takeaway

For now, I wouldn't read into Sutton's IG post beyond a player celebrating an excellent year and a job well done. It's more a turning of the page than it is a harbinger of departure.