Courtland Sutton has opened the 2026 season in a way nobody around the Broncos is used to seeing. Through two games, the veteran receiver has been almost invisible by his standards, and that slump may be exactly why Denver can lean on him in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Sutton’s line so far is stark: 5 catches for 36 yards on 9 targets. He has only one reception that moved the chains. He did draw a key pass interference penalty against the Jaguars that helped Denver win, but overall his influence has been far below what the Broncos have come to expect from one of their longest-tenured players and one of their top leaders.
The numbers get even rougher when you look at Bo Nix throwing his way. Nix has a passer rating of 25.5 when targeting Sutton through the first two weeks, and two of those nine throws have been intercepted - one against the Chiefs and one against the Jaguars. That is a sharp contrast from the production Denver has typically gotten since Sean Payton arrived as head coach, when Broncos quarterbacks have posted a 98.2 passer rating targeting Sutton.
That drop-off stands out because Sutton has been one of the team’s most reliable finishers. Since 2023, he has caught 25 touchdowns and has been among the NFL’s better receivers at converting on 3rd and 4th down. This season, though, the timing has been off and the impact has been muted.
The Broncos also recently paid Sutton the remainder of his prorated bonus money, which has added some uncertainty about where things stand long term. For now, though, the immediate focus is much simpler: get him back on track.
That kind of response is hardly foreign to this Denver offense. In Week 2, the Broncos turned to Jaylen Waddle after he managed only one catch for two yards in his first game with the team. Denver gave him 10 targets against the Jaguars, and he answered with 8 receptions for 138 yards in the win.
That’s the blueprint here. If the Broncos want to handle the Rams, they need their biggest names to show up. Sutton is one of them, and Denver knows it cannot chase a championship season while leaving him stranded in this kind of early funk.
There is at least some reason to believe this matchup could help. Sutton has put up strong numbers against NFC teams in recent years, including a 7-catch, 113-yard, 1-touchdown game against the Packers in 2025. He also posted 5 catches for 62 yards and a touchdown against the Commanders, 4 catches for 67 yards against the Cowboys, 6 catches for 84 yards against the Giants, and 8 catches for 99 yards against the Eagles.
Now the Broncos get another NFC opponent in the Rams, a team expected to be among the conference’s best. Whether that trend means anything is open to debate, but Denver has a clear incentive to test it.
The Broncos showed against Jacksonville that they can force-feed a player when they want to. The challenge is doing that while staying balanced enough to keep drives alive and generate enough offensive snaps for both Sutton and Waddle to matter.
Even with the slow start, Week 3 looks like a natural spot for Denver to make Sutton a priority. The Broncos may also find a defense that is more focused on Waddle after his breakout, which could leave Sutton with a chance to catch the Rams off guard. However it plays out, both the team and its veteran receiver have plenty of reason to push for a reset.
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