Courtland Sutton foregoes holdout, still wants a new deal in Denver: 'This is where I want to be'

Courtland Sutton remains committed to getting a new contract despite reporting for Denver Broncos mandatory minicamp on Tuesday as he said he would.

Sutton sat out the voluntary portion of offseason workouts but attended mandatory minicamp, avoiding fines that could have cost him $101,716. The veteran receiver said he didn’t need to miss minicamp to underscore his stance.

“The point had been made already,” Sutton said, via the Associated Press. “I’m hoping that we’re able to find a solution … because this is where I want to be, and I’m just hoping that it’s mutual.”

On Tuesday, Sutton ran a single route, then worked on the side field with rehabbing players and watched team drills on the sideline. The plan is to ease the wideout in to avoid injury.

“He’s in good shape,” coach Sean Payton said, “but you don’t want to just throw him in there and so we’ll be smart about that.”

Sutton has two years left on his contract but just $2 million guaranteed. He’s set to earn $13 million in base salary in 2024 and $13.5 million in 2025. With receiver contracts exploding, the 28-year-old would like a tweak to his deal to keep him in Denver.

Despite trade rumors, it’s notable that Sutton hasn’t reportedly demanded a trade to a club that might satisfy his contract desires. He’s been consistent in desiring to remain in Denver.

“We’ll see what happens. We’ve got a month for things to get situated,” Sutton said of getting a deal before training camp. “Hopefully things get situated because you know … this is where I want to be. This is home. This is where I want to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. This is the place where I want to be able to retire. This is the place where I want to be in the Broncos’ Ring of Honor.”

The 2018 second-round pick has earned one Pro Bowl in six seasons in Denver. A sideline maven with contested-catch ability, Sutton racked up 772 yards on 59 catches with a career-high 10 touchdowns last season.