Broncos’ Sutton confirms he’ll be at minicamp

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton on Thursday confirmed his coach’s assumption and said he will attend the team’s mandatory minicamp next week.

Sutton, who has not participated in the Broncos’ offseason program, appeared on the “DNVR Broncos” podcast and said, “I will be there, I will be there.”

Payton said after Tuesday’s OTA practice he expected Sutton to attend the three-day mandatory minicamp next week, Tuesday through Thursday.

Sutton added on the podcast, “it’s been killing me not being able to be at OTAs. This has been a very different offseason than I’ve been a part of since I’ve been in the league. Anybody that knows me and anybody that’s played with me, understands that I love this game, man. I love the game of ball.”

Sutton, who led the Broncos and was tied for fourth in the league with 10 touchdown receptions last season, has stayed away from all of the workouts, including the current round of OTAs.

“Yeah, I think he’ll be here for minicamp,” Payton said this week. “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 this in the offseason as a head coach … he and I have talked, I think that will work itself out.”

Also asked Tuesday if he could verify Sutton’s absence was a contract issue, Payton said “it’s not that he doesn’t like our new uniforms.”

Per the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, a team’s designated mandatory minicamp is the only part of the offseason program a player could be fined for missing. A player can potentially be fined a total of $101,716 for missing all three days — the fine is graduated and increases for each individual day missed.

Sutton is in the third year of a four-year, $60.8 million deal he signed during the 2021 season. He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $13 million this season. He currently has the potential to earn $100,000 in bonuses that are considered “likely to be earned.”

Sutton has $2 million of his base salary already guaranteed for the season given he remained on the roster through the end of March.

The seventh-year veteran, who was the Broncos’ second-round pick in the 2018 draft, led the Broncos in receptions (59), yards receiving (772) and touchdowns last season.

The Broncos traded wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Browns just before the draft and Jeudy then signed a three-year, $52.5 million extension with Cleveland.

The Broncos selected two wide receivers in the draft — Troy Franklin in the fourth round and Devaughn Vele in the seventh round — and added Josh Reynolds in free agency.