The Broncos have locked in Courtland Sutton on a new deal that gives the receiver four years and $92 million, with the structure built to stretch through the end of the decade. The extension includes $41 million in total guarantees, $40 million fully guaranteed at signing, and an $18.5 million signing bonus.
There’s also some flexibility baked in on the back end. Sutton can make as much as $765,000 per year in per-game roster bonuses from 2026 through 2029, and the contract is scheduled to void on the 10th day before the 2029 league year.
Denver also made a cap-driven move on Sutton’s 2026 option. The Broncos declined it for salary cap purposes, which pushes his 2026 cap charge up by $9.6 million while trimming future cap charges by $2.4 million.
Elsewhere in the AFC, Chargers OC Mike McDaniel was asked about the team’s Week 1 loss and said the offense wound up going in the exact opposite direction of what he had planned during months of preparation.
“You have a lot of visions coming to a new team and working on something for months,” McDaniel said Thursday, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “And the vision never looked like that.
I think I would be in a way different mood than every other press conference that you’ve seen me, if that was any indication of the way the ball has been. So yeah, it was kind of shocking in its own right.”
He added, “It worked out totally the opposite way that we saw. And what are you going to do about it?”
McDaniel added. “That’s what I love about football.
That’s what I love about this week, because you can’t hide. You got to go and face the music.”
In Other News...
Broncos First-Round Pick Is Already Raising An Uncomfortable Question
Jahdae Barron arrived in Denver with the kind of draft pedigree that usually comes with an immediate runway, but the early part of his second season has looked nothing like that. Through the first two games of the 2026 NFL season, the Broncos cornerback has played only six defensive snaps, a sign of just how crowded the depth chart has become behind Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian.
For a first-round pick from 2025, that reality raises an awkward question about how soon Barron can carve out a meaningful role. The Broncos clearly value the talent they added, but with the secondary already established, it is fair to wonder whether Barron is headed toward a longer developmental path than teams usually expect from a player taken that high, and whether Denver drafted for the future at a spot where the present was already spoken for. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Be Catching The Rams At A Very Different Time
The Broncos trip to face the Rams comes with at least one major offensive wrinkle, because Puka Nacua is still a question mark after sitting out Week 2 with hip and groin issues. Sean McVay said the team is being careful with soft tissue injuries and is preparing as if it may need to get by without leaning on Nacuas availability, which changes the look of a matchup Denver was already circling.
For the Broncos, that uncertainty matters because Nacua has been one of the Rams most important passing-game pieces when healthy. It also lands against the backdrop of a candid offseason interview in which Nacua discussed his struggles with stress and alcohol and said he is focused on improving for his family and his career, a reminder that his week-to-week status is only part of a much bigger picture around the Rams top target. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Knows The Broncos Have A Problem Even After Winning
The Broncos left Jacksonville with a 20-13 win and the kind of relief that comes from surviving a second-half deficit, but Sean Payton did not treat it like a clean bill of health. After back-to-back weeks of football that have already tested their nerve, the coach pointed to the value of winning close games while also making it clear Denver cannot keep leaning on late escapes as a long-term plan.
At 1-1 in the 2026 season, the Broncos have shown they can hang around and finish, which matters, but the early-game issues remain hard to ignore. Paytons challenge now is turning those gritty outcomes into more controlled ones, and the next chance comes against the Los Angeles Rams, where Denver will again be looking for a steadier start and a little less drama. [Read more 🡒]