Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton said he didn't push for more money in his new contract extension to ensure the club could keep the roster together long-term.
"The deal that we wound up signing is a great deal, and it was very beneficial to myself," Sutton told Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. "And it gives us a chance to be able to keep a lot of really good players around on this team and for years to come."
Sutton agreed to a four-year, $92 million extension on Monday, averaging $23 million per year. With most big-money wide receiver contracts hitting the $30 million mark, Sutton's figure certainly could have been higher. His new deal will tie him with Calvin Ridley for 18th among receivers. It would have been no surprise if the 29-year-old Sutton had pushed for a deal that paid him north of $25 million per year.
Sutton said the other contracts that the Broncos are looking to get done in the near future "1,000 percent" played a role in him taking slightly less money.
Denver is in talks to extend pass rusher Nik Bonitto, which is expected to be a big-money deal. Zach Allen will require a new contract. John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, P.J. Locke, Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are heading into contract years.
"It wasn't about me," Sutton said. "At the end of the day, yes, we work in a business of compensation. (There's) talent in that locker room, guys that are coming up, that are trying to get their second contract. I was blessed to be able to get my third. They put the work in just the same way as I have. And some of those guys have more accolades than I have when it comes to the NFL side of things ... and to be able to sign the deal that we did, it gives us a chance to keep those guys around."
The Broncos' roster is on the rise in the AFC. Keeping Sutton around for the long term ensures Bo Nix has a reliable target. Signing the wideout for a few million less than he could have pushed for opens doors for others to get paid.
