Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been with the Denver Broncos since 2018, and is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster, but the 2026 season could very well be his last ride in Denver.
The Broncos have been quietly making some procedural moves behind the scenes on some of their most notable contracts, including making a recent adjustment to the contract of Sutton.
According to OverTheCap.com: "The Broncos declined the 2026 option for salary cap purposes. The move increased his cap number by $9.6 million for 2026 and decreased his cap number by $2.4 million in future years."
Essentially, the Broncos have decided to pay some previously prorated options to Sutton now rather than kick them into the future. And anytime that type of thing happens with a player, it raises some questions about their long-term future with the team. Maybe especially so in Sutton's case.
Broncos could already be implementing the exit plan for WR Courtland Sutton after 2026
Of course, if Courtland Sutton plays outstanding football in the 2026 season, the Broncos don't have to move on after this year. He's under contract through the end of the 2029 season.
The team recently had a healthy amount of salary cap space to work with, and they decided to add another $9.6 million to the 2026 salary cap number with Sutton's contract, specifically. That brought his cap hit up to $23.575 million this season, but gives the Broncos a cleaner path out of the contract after this season.
Now that the Broncos have made these adjustments to Sutton's deal, they can make him a post-June 1 roster cut next offseason and add $20 million in cap space (after June 1) with only $6 million in dead money.
Most notably, there is no guaranteed money on Sutton's deal after this season, so he was always going to be susceptible to some type of move (as is any player without guaranteed money on his contract). Over the next three seasons (2027-29), Sutton's salary cap hits increase from over $26 million to over $27 million, and finally over $28 million.
Given the fact that he will turn 32 next season (time flies), there's simply no way the Broncos can justify that price tag. Mike Evans of the 49ers has salary cap hits of $4.25 million, $7.31 million, and $9.7 million at a similar age range.
This type of move feels very much like the Broncos are doing right by Sutton to pay him any prorated bonuses now, but getting as much of his deal off the books for future years while they have some available cap space to play with.
Broncos' plan for Pat Bryant to phase out Courtland Sutton may be in motion
It just so happens that Pat Bryant was the team's most-targeted receiver in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it feels like the Broncos could be slowly phasing Sutton out while expanding Bryant's role throughout the course of this season.
Bryant was a 3rd-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Broncos who has significantly impressed the coaching staff this year. He's quickly becoming a focal point of the offense, and the best thing for the Broncos might be to fully commit to Bryant -- in place of Sutton -- in 2027 and beyond.
The Broncos have loved Bryant's physicality at the receiver position, his willingness to block, and his well-rounded skill set at the position. Although he -- like just about every Broncos receiver -- has dealt with some drops, Bryant is known for having strong hands to make tough, contested catches, and he can also make plays after the catch in space.
He doesn't have an identical skill set to Courtland Sutton, by any means, but he can do a lot for the offense, and he can do it on a rookie contract.
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