Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton expects wide receiver Courtland Sutton to attend next week’s mandatory minicamp, he said Tuesday.
Sutton’s Offseason Absence
Sutton, who led the Broncos and tied for fourth in the league with 10 touchdown receptions last season, has not attended any part of the offseason program, including the current OTAs.
Contract Speculation Addressed
Payton said he believes Sutton will attend the mandatory minicamp from June 11-13, but he doesn’t have a guarantee from Sutton that he’ll be there.
“Yeah, I think he’ll be here for minicamp,” Payton said. “… Man, I just know his work ethic, I know the player, and you know, there’s a list of things that race through your mind in the offseason as a head coach. … He and I have talked. I think that will work itself out.”
When asked if Sutton’s absence was contract-related, Payton said, “It’s not that he doesn’t like our new uniforms.”
Minicamp Attendance Fines
Under the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, a team can fine a player for missing the mandatory minicamp. This is the only part of the offseason program subject to fines. A player could incur a total fine of $101,716 for missing all three days, with the fine increasing each day missed.
Sutton’s Contract and Salary
Sutton is currently in the third year of a four-year, $60.8 million deal he signed during the 2021 season. This year, he’ll earn a base salary of $13 million, with the potential to add $100,000 in bonuses. Additionally, $2 million of his base salary for this season was guaranteed as he remained on the roster through the end of March.
Changes in Broncos’ Wide Receiver Corps
The 2018 second-round draft pick led the Broncos in receptions (59), receiving yards (772), and touchdowns last season. The Broncos traded wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns just before the draft, and Jeudy then signed a three-year, $52.5 million extension with the Browns.
To bolster their wide receiver corps, the Broncos selected Troy Franklin in the fourth round, Devaughn Vele in the seventh round, and then Josh Reynolds in free agency.
This report used information from ESPN.
