Broncos HC Sean Payton downplays reported trade offer of ex-Pro Bowl WR

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton keeps trying to downplay trade rumors surrounding wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

On Thursday, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the 49ers considered trading for Sutton before they signed WR Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120M extension . San Francisco offered a third-round pick for the one-time Pro Bowler and would've dealt Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Denver rejected the proposal, per the report.

On Monday, Payton implied the Broncos had discussions with the 49ers, but they didn't go anywhere.

"I'm going to say in the last three months, there have been multiple teams call about Courtland," Payton said. "He's a good football player. It's a little bit of a stretch relative to the specifics. I read the same thing you read, and I would say we didn't get nearly as far down the road as what may have been reported. It's insignificant. For me to comment on every call that comes into [general manager] George [Paton] or myself would be ludicrous."

According to OverTheCap.com, Sutton signed a revised two-year contract that contains $1.5M in incentives on July 24. However, that may not preclude Denver from placing the 28-year-old on the trade block.

In March, the Broncos released former starting quarterback Russell Wilson, incurring $85M in dead cap over the next two seasons. If Denver trades Sutton this season, the move would yield $13.47M in cap savings.

Sutton plays a critical role in Denver's offense, though. In 16 games last season, he tied for fourth in the league in touchdown catches (10) and had 59 receptions for 772 yards.

Plus, Denver's receiving corps is somewhat thin after they sent WR Jerry Jeudy — a former first-round pick — to the Cleveland Browns in March. Aside from Sutton and Jeudy, no Broncos pass-catcher surpassed 500 receiving yards in 2023.

Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix needs reliable targets to thrive, so Denver should clearly consider keeping Sutton unless it receives a massive package.