Denver Broncos veterans are reporting to training camp on July 28th, so it's about that time when the rest of the roster heads back for the last chunk of the 2026 NFL Offseason, and for the Broncos, this is a huge season coming up.
With how the 2025 season ended, the 2026 season could bring the highest sense of urgency that we have seen in quite some time. The Broncos were good enough to win the Super Bowl this year, and if all goes well, Denver can do it this year.
The team swung a major trade for Jaylen Waddle to add a much-needed weapon to the offensive side of the ball. Up until now, quarterback Bo Nix did not have a legitimate, go-to weapon to throw the ball to. Adding Waddle should also cause a domino effect with the rest of the pass-catchers, and this could help a key Broncos veteran steady a concern that has been present for multiple years now.
Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton has had issues with drops in recent years...
According to Pro Football Reference, Courtland Sutton had eight drops in 2025 and nine in 2024. During this time, nine passes have been intercepted when Sutton has been targeted, and he has a passer rating of just 90.5 when targeted, which is fine, but nothing notable.
What I believe the issue has been is that Sutton has been that de-facto WR1 for the Broncos, but he's just not that type of player anymore. Sutton is a very low-end WR1 at best but is definitely best-suited as a "1B" option.
With Waddle simply being a better, more productive player than Sutton, there is reason to believe that Sutton settles into more of a WR2 role. For reference on the drops, Pro Football Reference listed Jameson Williams with the most drops in the NFL last year with 12, so Sutton was tied for the fourth-most in the league, as CeeDee Lamb, Tetairoa McMillian, Evan Engram, and Mason Taylor all also had eight drops.
As for Waddle, he had just four drops in the 2025 season and a passer rating when targeted of 96.9 across his career, but Waddle not being a liability with catching the ball should translate with the Broncos in 2026.
While Sutton is a rock-solid player, it does feel like every other game features a moment where Sutton simply doesn't catch a ball that needs to be caught. A whopping 17 drops over the past two seasons and an only marginally efficient passer rating when targeted are a bit concerning.
With training camp on the horizon and Sutton now having a game-changing player in the room, this steady concern should fade away.
Add us as a preferred source on Google