Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton Won't Be Traded Despite Rumors, Broncos' Payton Says

Sean Payton has only been with the Denver Broncos for about two months. But he's already squashing trade rumors that surround his top two wide receivers in Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.

Payton told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero at the annual league meeting Sunday that the organization has no plans on trading either player.

"I see and read just like everyone else does," Payton said. "Then occasionally, when someone really crowds the plate, I throw a fastball right at their chin, and they back up, and they're like, 'Alright.' And so I haven't thrown any fastballs lately, but we're not trading those two players.

"... And so, we've received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players. But we're in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we're void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we're working with."

Earlier in the month ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that multiple teams around the league believed that the Broncos could trade Jeudy, Sutton or KJ Hamler, but that the organization was asking for a lot to return.

A pair of early-round picks for Denver in recent years, Jeudy and Sutton were by far the team's most productive receivers in a rough offensive season for the Broncos in 2022.

Jeudy, 23, was the organization's first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft and finished with a team-high 972 yards and six touchdowns last year, building a solid rapport with Russell Wilson in his first season in Denver. Sutton finished a close second with 829 yards and two scores.

Sutton, a second-round pick in 2018, was a Pro Bowl selection in his second season in the league. He is set to have a cap hit of $18.3 million in 2023, $17.3 million in 2024 and $17.8 million in 2025.

He has been the subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason.

If the Broncos trade him before June 1, they would free up $6.8 million in cap space. They are currently 24th in the league in cap room with $7.9 million, according to Spotrac.