The Denver Broncos officially notified Russell Wilson of his impending release, the team announced on March 4. One day later, there may be trouble brewing just below the surface that’s about to bubble over with wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
Sutton grew close to in their short time together Wilson. It appears he may be less than pleased with the move or what it means for the future.
“Another one…,” Sutton posted on X, formerly Twitter on March 5.
Sutton was one of nine soon-to-be former teammates Wilson shouted out in his good-bye message posted to social media. The embattled quarterback noted during an appearance on “I AM ATHLETE” that Sutton was the first teammate to know about his situation this past season.
Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick also responded to Wilson’s post with the same “fingers crossed” emoji on X.
That cryptic message was only the start of the potential concerns about Sutton.
The former No. 40 overall pick in 2018 also scrubbed his X profile of all things Broncos. His bio ends with “what’s next?” while his banner photo now reads “Paused”.
Insider Doubts Courtland Sutton Wants to Remain With Broncos
GettyCourtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos.
This is not the first time Sutton has expressed himself in this way on social media. He also shared frustration amid trade rumors last season in a since-deleted post.
Those trade rumors resurfaced this offseason.
Sutton is heading into the third year of his four-year, $60.8 million contract. He has a $17.4 million cap hit in 2024. There was talk of restructuring Sutton’s contract if the Broncos don’t trade him.
According to Cecil Lammey of Denver Sports, Sutton may prefer the latter option.
“I don’t think Courtland Sutton wants to be here,” Lammey said on the “Coffe Break” podcast on March 5. “I think it might be mutual.”
Lammey was clear to note that he was not reporting, but rather speculating about Sutton’s stance on a potential trade. But Lammey added that Sutton rehabbed his trade value after meshing with Wilson. Head Coach Sean Payton has also spoken highly of the former SMU standout.
Ravens Could Be Landing Spot for Courtland Sutton
GettyLamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens.
While he did not go into depth, Lammey did note the Baltimore Ravens could be a trade destination for Sutton this offseason.
It is unclear if this interest is newfound, as Baltimore attempted to trade for Sutton last season.
“Desperate for a quality veteran receiver, the Ravens explored trade and free-agent possibilities,” The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec wrote in April 2023. “At one point, there appeared to be a deal to be made for Courtland Sutton, but the Denver Broncos decided they didn’t want to trade him.”
The Ravens ultimately signed O’Dell Beckham and rookie first-round pick Zay Flowers emerged at the position. But Beckham is a free agent this offseason. Flowers is a smaller receiver and could benefit from having a bigger-bodied compliment on the other side.
Perhaps the Ravens target Sutton, who caught 59 of 90 targets for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, again.
His 65.6% catch rate in 2023 also set a new career high, per Pro Football Reference.
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