Courtland Sutton enters the upcoming NFL campaign as the second-longest tenured Denver Broncos player, ranking only behind left tackle Garett Bolles. However, 2025 could mark his last in the Mile High City if incoming third-round wide receiver Pat Bryant is any indication.
Sutton is entering the final season of the four-year, $60.1 million contract extension he signed in November 2021. But while he's expressed optimism about working out another long-term pact with the Broncos, the team's actions suggest otherwise. Meanwhile, analysts like ESPN's Dan Orlovsky anticipate Bryant making an immediate impact as a rookie, jeopardizing the one-time Pro Bowler's outlook in Denver.
Broncos rookie WR Pat Bryant complicates Courtland Sutton's long-term status in Denver
As Orlovsky notes, Bryant "thrives" as a possession/contested catch receiver. He's a big-bodied target with strong, dependable hands. Sound familiar, Broncos Country?
With Bryant boasting a similar skill set and physical tools to Sutton's, Orlovsky ostensibly believes the former's game aligns with Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. And after seeing how well the latter meshed with the signal-caller in 2024, that's a fair assessment.
"Bryant could emerge as a consistent option for Bo Nix," Orlovsky wrote. But what does it mean for Sutton if the Illinois product develops a rapport with the rising second-year signal-caller? Is there a world where the two pass-catchers co-exist harmoniously?
Not everyone is sold on Pat Bryant, which could help Courtland Sutton
For whatever it's worth, not everyone is as confident in Bryant as Orlovsky, including those who work with him. The retired journeyman quarterback's ESPN colleague, Field Yates, deemed Denver spending a third-round pick on the wideout a little too rich for his blood.
"This was a reach relative to my own rankings," Yates stated regarding Denver's selection of Bryant, touting the 22-year-old as a "Day 3" prospect.
Yates cited Bryant's 4.61-second 40-yard dash time. Nonetheless, he follows this up by highlighting some of the former Fighting Illini's strengths while indicating the Broncos pulled the trigger slightly early.
"There are traits of Bryant's game I admire: He's a strong route runner, has extremely reliable hands and was a clutch performer in college," Yates said. "This pick was just earlier than expected."
Sutton and the Broncos agreed to a revised contract agreement last offseason that netted him an extra $1.5 million in incentives this past season. But it was always a temporary fix. Fans were just blinded by his immediate connection with Nix and Denver's stunningly overachieving year, and reasonably so. Yet, Bryant's arrival is a reminder that there are still things to be sorted out.