The Denver Broncos seem to be on the right track to extend Courtland Sutton, but they could be at risk of paying him more than he is worth. Sutton is the best wide receiver on the Broncos roster, but he turns 30 years old in October and really isn't a clear-cut WR1 right now.
If Sutton was 25 years old, this would be a different story, but he's most certainly not entering his prime, so Denver has to be careful here. How much will the Denver Broncos end up paying for Sutton, though?
Here is a blip from Broncos insider Mike Klis on what the Courtland Sutton contract may look like:
"So what would a new contract extension with Sutton, who turns 30 in October, look like? Most likely, well north of $20 million per year. How much more than $20 million a year and how much is guaranteed will be the questions."
Let's dive into three better options for the Broncos than overpaying for Courtland Sutton.
3 better options for the Broncos than overpaying for Courtland Sutton
Try to give him another raise only through the 2025 NFL Season
I have no clue if Sutton's camp would agree to this, but there surely is a non-zero chance of it happening. Denver gave Sutton a bit of a raise for the 2024 NFL Season. Could they simply do the same for 2025 and allow him to hit free agency in 2025? Denver runs the risk of getting themsleves deep in a contract extension for a player who is probably set to decline soon.
Denver could take a more viable route and move on before it's too late.
Trade Sutton and try to trade up for Tet McMillan
Could the Denver Broncos simply trade Courtland Sutton? Well, they could, but a trade takes two teams. If the Broncos were able to trade Sutton instead of overpaying for him, they could then try to trade up in the 2025 NFL Draft to take Tet McMillan, one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
They would reset the WR room a bit and feature a slew of young guys alongside Marvin Mims Jr and Troy Franklin.
Trade Sutton and draft Jayden Higgins
There are a lot of similarities between Jayden Higgins and Courtland Sutton. If you compare their NFL.com draft profiles, you'll see this. Higgins ran a 4.47 at the combine with a 1.53 10-yard split, a 39" vertical jump, and a 10' 8" broad jump. He measures 6'4" and weighs 214 pounds.
Sutton's draft profile sees him running a 4.54 with a 1.5 second 10-yard split, a 35.5" vertical jump, and a 10' 4" broad jump.
The Denver Broncos should be able to grab the Iowa State product in the second round, and with the draft pick they get for Sutton in a hypothetical trade, they might be able to use that additional pick for another encouraging prospect.