The Denver Broncos agreed on a four-year, $92 million contract extension with wide receiver Courtland Sutton on Monday, and head coach Sean Payton is eager to get the team's No. 1 target back in the flow of the offense.
Sutton has been participating in individual drills during the first week of training camp. With the extension and more guaranteed money headed his way, Sutton can focus on football.
"Here's the deal: He's been participating in all the individual, all the 1-on-1. He's gotten 7-on-7 work.
He's gotten team reps. He's just being smart," Payton said just before the deal was announced Monday. "It'd be different if you felt like he was missing improvement, or not being out here, or just being out here riding the bike or something. I kind of know that player well enough to feel really good about where he's at and his mindset both mentally and physically."
Sutton was among league leaders in contested catches (34) and had a career-high 81 receptions last season.
"I think like any player, he's dealt with some injuries. There are certain years. His 2019 film was outstanding. His film last year," Payton said of Sutton's evolution in his offense. "Finding that right weight and balance. Then what are the things that he does well? Certainly he's a strong target. He's smart. He's one of our, I would say, clearly one of our leaders on this team. There are a lot of things that he brings to the table."
With Bo Nix as the Broncos' quarterback last season, the 29-year-old Sutton had 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (13 starts).
Over seven seasons in Denver, after he was a second-round draft pick in 2018 out of SMU, he has made 379 receptions for 5,340 yards and 32 TDs in 98 games (82 starts). He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2019.
--Field Level Media
