NFL Trade Rumors: Broncos' Courtland Sutton Was Pursued by 'Several Teams'

Cortland Sutton remains a member of the Denver Broncos heading into the 2024 season, but a number of teams reportedly tried to change that this offseason.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday that "several teams have tried" to trade for the wide receiver. He also listed the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were unable to trade for Brandon Aiyuk this offseason, as a potential suitor if the Broncos decide they do want to trade Sutton.

Pittsburgh would make sense for Sutton or any other wide receiver who may be traded, as there are question marks at the position behind No. 1 option George Pickens.

But the Broncos have not moved the playmaker who is signed through the 2025 campaign.

"I'm going to say in the last three months, there have been multiple teams call about Courtland," head coach Sean Payton told reporters Monday. "He's a good football player. It's a little bit of a stretch relative to the specifics. I read the same thing you read, and I would say we didn't get nearly as far down the road as what may have been reported. It's insignificant. For me to comment on every call that comes in to [General Manager] George [Paton] or myself would be ludicrous."

Those comments were in response to speculation the San Francisco 49ers wanted to trade for Sutton if they did not keep Aiyuk.

Perhaps the AFC West team will look to move the veteran pass-catcher if it gets off to a poor start this season and turns its attention toward the future. There would surely be several teams interested, just as there was during the offseason.

But Denver already traded wide receiver Jerry Jeudy this offseason and likely needs Sutton on the outside making plays if rookie quarterback Bo Nix is going to live up to expectations in his first season.

The 2019 Pro Bowler finished the 2023 season with 59 catches for 772 yards and a career-best 10 touchdown catches as a bright spot for a Broncos offense that struggled with consistency on the way to an 8-9 record.

He was a red-zone threat and deep-ball target and will look to be the same for Nix when the Broncos start their season on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.