Courtland Sutton Shares a Bold Truth About Super Bowl 60

Courtland Sutton wished the Super Bowl teams the best, but he said the quiet part out loud about the Broncos.

Sep 29, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a pass from Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have had no choice but to live with the disappointment of how their amazing 2025 season came to an end. With Bo Nix suffering a season-ending injury the week before in the playoffs, the Broncos lost the AFC championshp game to the New England Patriots 10-7.

That being said, the what-ifs of losing Nix are bound to percolate for some time, especially among the players. Jarrett Stidham gave it his best in the unenviable task of making his first start in 749 days in the conference championship, but if Nix had played, who knows how it would have shaken out for Denver.

Harnessing all that pain and frustration can be tricky, even for veterans who've dealt with disappointment before. There's always the very real danger of being stuck in the past leading to a lack of focus in the present.

That's where the veteran mindset of Broncos Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton comes into play. Sutton understands he'll eventually have to bury the disappointing past, but he doesn't sound like he's quite ready to, saying the quiet part out loud about Super Bowl 60.

"You'll drive yourself crazy sitting there thinking about the what ifs, and so, I eventually got over the what ifs," Sutton told Guerilla Sports. "But I haven't got over the situation. I told my boy, I said maybe after the game I'll get over it. Once the Super Bowl ends, I'll get over it. But the best of luck to both those teams going out there performing, doing their thing. You know, everyone knows the Broncos should've been in there, but it's alright." 

🗣️Courtland Sutton on the Super Bowl

"Best of luck to both of those teams... everyone knows the Broncos should've been in there but it's alright." #BroncosCountry | #ProBowlGames pic.twitter.com/JTEJquU6lC

— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) February 2, 2026

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What Could Have Been...

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) tackles New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nix's fractured ankle played a big part in the Broncos' missing the chance to play in Super Bowl 60 this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks, but the quarterback wasn't the only one with an injury. Pro Bowl outside linebacker Nik Bonitto revealed that he was dealing with an injury in the AFC title game, which is why he wasn't on the field for the final 2:11.

"It was just some things I was going through with my body," Bonitto said this week via 9NEWS' Mike Klis. "They were just trying to save me for passing situations." 

Bonitto wasn't clear on what he was dealing with, but we know he played a large portion of the season with a cast on his thumb. He also began wearing a bulky elbow brace as the year went on. 

However, if Bonitto's injury were deemed serious enough to force a trip under the surgeon's knife, he wouldn't currently be in San Francisco for the Pro Bowl games.

Whatever Bonitto's mysterious injury was, it's hard to say what might have happened if the Broncos' star pass rusher was still coming off the edge when Patriots quarterback Drake Maye scrambled for that critical 3rd-&-6 conversion that defined the outcome of the game.

Focusing on the Positive

Focusing on the positives can be difficult in the wake of such a disappointing end to the season, but that's where Bonitto finds himself right now. That's why Vance Joseph's sticking around as the defensive coordinator has come as a real boost for Bonitto and his defensive brethren.

"Yeah, just to be able to keep that continuity with coach [DC Vance Joseph], and selfishly I'm happy," Bonitto said, via Guerilla Sports. "You know, it worked out that way. So, being able to have him back for another year is great. Not just for me, but for everybody."

Joseph's return means continuity on the defensive side, so the nuts and bolts of running things back now take precedence. That will require accepting that the Broncos lost to the Patriots in that second-half blizzard, but the belief that they had some bad luck with Nix's injury will linger for some time yet.

"Yeah, mmm, just disheartening again," Bonitto said to Guerilla Sports. "I mean, just knowing all that we had to go through this year, and just having that opportunity to be one game away, just let it slip by us; it does suck. But at the same time, it just shows how much that we're building, and it's not going to be the end for us. I mean, I know we're going to keep on building this roster and keep on building the team to where we want to be, so."