Report: Broncos Turned Down Niners' 3rd-Round Pick Offer for WR Courtland Sutton

We now know how the Denver Broncos really feel about Courtland Sutton.

Aug 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) and quarterback Bo Nix (10) stand on the field during warm ups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, one of the biggest NFL offseason storylines resolved with the San Francisco 49ers coming to terms with disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on a four-year, $120 million extension. The Aiyuk rumor mill worked overtime all offseason and through the summer, and at times, it even linked the Denver Broncos.

In the wake of Aiyuk's extension, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported that the Broncos were among the handful of teams linked to trade talks with the Niners, which never materialized. But it wasn't about Aiyuk landing in Denver.

According to Russini, the Niners wanted a bonafide No. 1 receiver to replace Aiyuk if they were going to trade him, and Denver's Courtland Sutton was on the list.

"The 49ers only were willing to trade Brandon Aiyuk if they could get a top-flight WR to replace him. They offered a third-round pick to Denver for Courtland Sutton, and then would’ve dealt Aiyuk to the Steelers, but the Broncos declined the offer," Russini reported on X.

The 49ers only were willing to trade Brandon Aiyuk if they could get a top-flight WR to replace him. They offered a third-round pick to Denver for Courtland Sutton, and then would’ve dealt Aiyuk to the Steelers, but the Broncos declined the offer.

So, he stays in SF.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 29, 2024

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Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer offered further context on the Sutton-to-San-Fran trade that never was.

"This scenario, as I understand it, would've had the 49ers landing 2nd- and 3rd-round picks from Pittsburgh for Brandon Aiyuk, flipping the 3 to Denver. The Steelers didn't want to part with a player for Aiyuk. All's well that ends well—Keeping Aiyuk was always SF's preference," Breer reported on X.

This scenario, as I understand it, would've had the 49ers landing 2nd- and 3rd-round picks from Pittsburgh for Brandon Aiyuk, flipping the 3 to Denver. The Steelers didn't want to part with a player for Aiyuk.

All's well that ends well—Keeping Aiyuk was always SF's preference. https://t.co/LhkauKmUAP

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 30, 2024

These revelations speak volumes to how the Broncos feel about Sutton. Coming off a 10-touchdown campaign in Year 1 with Sean Payton, Sutton's 2024 outlook arguably improved with the addition of first-round quarterback Bo Nix.

Sutton's yardage last year probably kept him out of the Pro Bowl because of Denver's low-volume passing attack and Russell Wilson's reticience to utilize the middle of the field as a passer. It was all about the 'moonballs' for Russ. With Nix, Sutton will get the looks on slants and curls, which should help him stack the yardage commensurate with a double-digit scoring campaign.

Sutton skipped the entire voluntary portion of the Broncos' offseason training program but showed up to training camp ready to rock, thanks to the team adding some incentives and escalators to his contract that offer him the chance to make more money on his $13 million base salary. While it wasn't exactly an extension — as he's still under contract through the 2025 season — the Broncos recognized Sutton's 2023 contributions by sweetening the pot, so to speak.

Sutton has been linked to multiple trade rumors for the past three offseasons. The Broncos haven't budged on Sutton, but they had no problem dealing Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland this past spring, clearing north of $14M in cap space.

Obviously, Sutton is worth more to the Broncos on the roster than a third-round pick, in a vacuum. Entering his seventh season, his outlook has never been brighter, thanks to Payton's offense and Nix's arrival.

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