Tag: Courtland Sutton

Broncos coach Sean Payton gives his take on team’s fumbles

“You have to know when the ride’s over,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of wide receivers losing fumbles.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was clearly upset after wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Lil’Jordan Humphrey both lost fumbles against the Carolina Panthers last week. In a radio interview, Payton went as far as suggesting the team could “find some other receivers” who won’t fumble.

After a few days to cool down, Payton was a little more cordial on Wednesday.

“L.J.’s [fumble], there’s a point at which the ride is over,” Payton said. “You have to know that. In other words, that extra two yards that you’re fighting for, I’m looking at 30 plays that I’ve got ready to call. So you have to know when the ride’s over.

“Courtland’s was a little different, catching it real close to the [goal line]. So each one can be different, but it’s just that understanding. These guys have forced fumbles at a high rate, and so that’s an important statistic as it relates to a game like this.”

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix defended both receivers this week.

“I thought both L.J. and Court, they were tough football plays,” Nix said. “They weren’t necessarily careless with the ball, those guys (on defense) made good plays. I’m not worried about those two. They’re veterans. They handled it really well this week.

“We know it’s important. We have to eliminate them and continue to win the turnover margin. When we do that, we’re successful. We just have to find ways to continue to do it. It has to be most important.”

Going up against a 5-3 Baltimore Ravens team this week, Denver’s offense can’t afford to put the ball on the ground.

“[Y]ou try to deal with it before you have that crisis moment,” Payton said of the fumbles. “Then we coach it, ‘How are you handling the ball in traffic? Not in traffic?’ Eventually, it has to become a habit. I think it’s coaching, it’s practice and it’s technique. It’s all of those things.”

The Broncos have 12 takeaways this season (tied for ninth-most) and 12 giveaways (five interceptions and seven fumbles, a league-high). The defense’s takeaways have been canceled out by the offense’s blunders, which will come back to hurt Denver against better teams.

After a point of emphasis on protecting the ball this week, Broncos receivers will undoubtedly have two hands on the ball in traffic on Sunday.

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Could Steelers meet the high asking price for latest WR trade target?

Insider Tony Pauline reported that while Pittsburgh is interested in trade target Courtland Sutton, there is a high asking price for the WR.

Another day, another Steelers WR trade rumor has broken the internet. However, something about this particular receiver trade feels different. Not only is the November 5 trade deadline less than a week away, but the trade target in question has history with Steelers QB Russell Wilson.

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton, Wilson’s former number one target in Denver, has been linked to Pittsburgh over the past few days. While Steelers fans would love for the team to add more offensive talent, others are growing frustrated with the persistent rumors and speculation that never materialize.

 

The San Francisco 49ers attempted to acquire Sutton during the Brandon Aiyuk trade drama, but Denver refused to deal the WR, resulting in Aiyuk staying in San Francisco.

Could the Broncos’ stubbornness, and high asking price, put a halt to Sutton and Wilson reuniting in Pittsburgh?  One concern remains certain, the Steelers need another dynamic WR in order to keep up with the rest of AFC.

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Insider names three more WR targets Steelers show interest in

Insider Tony Pauline has reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have three WR targets in mind as the trade deadline draws near.

Much to the chagrin of some Steelers fans, the trade rumors keep on coming. Insider Tony Pauline originally reported that the Denver Broncos had a ’50-50’ chance of trading Russell Wilson’s former WR1, Courtland Sutton. However, according to his sources, there appear to be not one but two more wide receivers linked to the team’s trade plans, bringing their total number of WR trade targets up to three.

Pauline states that these receivers are the New York Jets’ Mike Williams, the New York Giants’ Darius Slayton, and the recently reported Broncos’ Courtland Sutton.

The draft capital Pittsburgh would be willing to part with in any of these potential trades remains to be seen. The November 5th trade deadline is less than one week away, and Steelers fans, while polarized by the recent bombardment of trade rumors and speculation, could finally see their team pull off a blockbuster trade to land a WR2 for the team.

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3 players Broncos should not make available at NFL trade deadline

The Broncos might get calls about these players leading up to the NFL trade deadline, but they should keep all three players on the squad.

With the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) just a few days away, we recently published a list of eight players the Denver Broncos might consider trading.

Today, we’re taking a quick look at three players that the Broncos should not trade away, even if they receive interest from other clubs.

3. QB Zach Wilson: Denver has a pair of capable backup quarterbacks in Jarrett Stidham and Wilson, so QB-needy teams might come calling. If the Broncos are going to trade one of them, it would make more sense to deal Stidham (28) because Wilson (25) is younger with more long-term upside.

2. WR Courtland Sutton: Denver has spurned trade interest in Sutton in each of the last two seasons, and Sutton will probably draw interest again this year. Sutton (29) remains the team’s top wide receiver, though, and with a rookie quarterback under center, it wouldn’t be smart to strip the offense of its best and most competent receiver.

3. OLB Jonathon Cooper: NFL Network has reported that Cooper could draw interest, but the Broncos should not entertain the possibility of trading him. Cooper (26) ranks second on the team with 5.5 sacks this year and he’s been more productive and healthier than Baron Browning over the last four years. If Denver plans to move a pass rusher, it should be Browning.

If the team makes any trades in the coming days, we will track all of the potential moves on Broncos Wire.

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Steelers fans react to team’s latest WR trade target, per insider

Insider Tony Pauline stated that Broncos’ WR Courtland Sutton has a 50/50 shot of being traded, and Steelers fans are reasonably skeptical.

Steelers fans, similar to Pittsburgh’s DT Cameron Heyward, seem to be growing tired of the speculation and rumors surrounding their team’s potential trades by the November 5th deadline. 

There was some obvious excitement after the first three trade rumors broke, regarding receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, and Cooper Kupp, but an empty receiver room to show for it has left a lot of resentment in the hearts of the Steel City faithful. 

To throw more gasoline on the proverbial fire, Insider Tony Pauline has referenced that one of the first names mentioned as a Steelers’ trade target almost two months ago, Courtland Sutton, has a ’50-50′ chance of being traded by the Denver Broncos. 

Ultimately, this sent Steelers fans on social media into a craze, begging for General Manager Omar Khan to bring an additional playmaker to Pittsburgh via trade. However, this time around, there seems to be a voice of reason based in reality. Here are some of the best split-reactions from Steelers fans regarding the WR trade rumor. 

 





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8 players Broncos could trade away before NFL trade deadline

Should the Broncos consider trading any of these players before the NFL’s deadline?

The NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) is less than a week away and with multiple trades already completed, there have been some rumblings that the Denver Broncos could get involved in the action.

We have been focused on several outside players the Broncos could bring in, but today we’re turning our attention to players that Denver could ship out.

We’ve put together a quick list of eight players the Broncos could entertain trading away before the deadline.

Of note, NFL Network has reported that teams could call about pass rusher Jonathon Cooper, but the Broncos seem very unlikely to trade him, so we did not include Cooper on our list.

Players Broncos could trade before deadline

1. RB Javonte Williams: He is the team’s best blocking back and Audric Estime has had some struggles with fumbles, so Denver might not be ready to move on from Williams just yet. He’s set to become a free agent next year, though, so the Broncos could perhaps send him to a team like the Cowboys in exchange for a draft pick.

2. OT Mike McGlinchey: His contract could complicate a potential trade, but McGlinchey has suddenly become expendable following the emergency of Alex Palczewski. Denver might prefer to make this kind of move during the offseason, though.

3. DL D.J. Jones: With Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers playing so well and Malcolm Roach rotating in, the Broncos might thinking about trading Jones before he hits free agency in 2025.

4. WR Courtland Sutton: He is Bo Nix’s favorite target, but Denver has received plenty of interest in Sutton over the last two seasons. We’ll see if teams call the Broncos about Sutton again before this year’s deadline.

5. CB Damarri Mathis: Pat Surtain, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian serve as the team’s top three cornerbacks with Levi Wallace providing depth behind them. Tremon Smith is a special teams ace and Kris Abrams-Draine is a fifth-round draft pick who isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. That could leave Mathis as the odd man out.

6. QB Zach Wilson: The Broncos have repeatedly said that they believe Wilson will become a starter again in the NFL. In order for that to happen, Wilson might need a fresh start somewhere else.

7. QB Jarrett Stidham: Denver obviously wouldn’t trade both Wilson and Stidham, but they could certainly move one of them. Broncos coach Sean Payton seemed to hint that week that at least one team has called about the availability of Denver’s backup quarterbacks.

8. OLB Baron Browning: He is probably the Broncos’ most realistic trade candidate this year. Nik Bonitto (6.0) and Cooper (5.5) lead the team in sacks this fall and youngsters Jonah Elliss (2.0) and Dondrea Tillman (2.0) have also made their mark as rotational pass rushers. Denver has a surplus of pass rushers and Browning is scheduled to hit free agency next spring.

If the team makes any trades in the coming days, we will track all of the potential moves on Broncos Wire.

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Sean Payton hints at potential wide receiver changes for Broncos

Are the Broncos about to shake things up at wide receiver?

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was not happy following the team’s 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Broncos wide receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Courtland Sutton both lost fumbles in the win, and those two turnovers led to the Panthers’ only two scores of the game. In his post-game interview on KOA Radio, Payton said: “It just can’t be ‘My bad’ anymore, or else we’ll find some other receivers.”

Payton didn’t go that far in his post-game podium press conference, but the coach reiterated that the fumbles were not acceptable.

“Here’s the thing, we can’t turn the ball over the way we did offensively,” Payton said. “We can’t fumble on the first drive, [and] we can’t fumble later in the game. I put up some numbers for these guys just to see where we’re at relative to the season and relative to history. It’s not the perfect game we’re searching for, but it’s the game that we know when played with bigger stakes against a better team, it’ll cost you.”

KKTV 11 cameras caught Payton yelling at Sutton on the sideline after the receiver’s fourth-quarter fumble:

Sutton is Denver’s best wide receiver, so he seems extremely unlikely to get benched, but Humphrey’s role will be worth monitoring this week. LJH posted this on his Twitter/X page on Monday:

In addition to the two fumbles, Broncos receivers also dropped multiple passes on Sunday. With the NFL trade deadline approaching, one has to wonder if Denver might consider bringing in a new wide receiver.

Sutton, Humphrey, Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims are the five WRs currently on the active roster. The Broncos also have A.T. Perry,
David Sills and Michael Bandy available on the practice squad. We’ll see if Denver adds anyone to the mix before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

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Bo Nix trolls fantasy football managers who benched Courtland Sutton

“I feel bad for the people that sat him for fantasy this week,” Broncos QB Bo Nix said after WR Courtland Sutton’s big game on Sunday.

After drawing zero targets last week, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton rebounded in a big way in Week 8 by totaling eight catches for 100 yards in a 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers.

After the win, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix praised Sutton’s performance, and he made a light-hearted dig at fantasy football managers who did not start the receiver on Sunday.

“It was huge, I thought he came to play today,” Nix said. “He had several great opportunities, made the most of them and he was a good target for us today. It started early in the game and then he was just kind of feeling it.

“I thought that was a good part of our game plan. We really wanted to get him involved, and I thought it was really good. I feel bad for the people that sat him for fantasy this week.”

In point-per-reception formats, Sutton turned in an 18-point performance on Sunday. Fans in Denver (and fantasy football managers) would love to see that kind of production continue.

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Bo Nix had a funny reaction to Courtland Sutton’s impressive passing stats

“He is coming for our jobs in the quarterback room,” Broncos QB Bo Nix said after WR Courtland Sutton completed a pass on Sunday.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton threw a 28-yard pass to fullback Michael Burton in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers.

With that completion, Sutton is now a perfect 3-of-3 on passing attempts in his career. Those three throws went for 82 yards and three first downs, giving Sutton a 118.7 passer rating (better than Bo Nix’s 81.4 rating this fall).

Nix had a funny reaction to Sutton’s throw after the game.

“He put some arc and pace on it,” Nix said. “I thought it was a really good back shoulder there. It was impressive. He is coming for our jobs in the quarterback room. I thought that was good. Obviously, it was a fourth down and we needed it.”

Sutton deflected praise to Burton when asked about the play.

“It was something that once we started practicing during the week, I was like, ‘All right, [I] feel good about it,'” Sutton said. “Depending how the game goes — sometimes it gets called and sometimes it doesn’t get called. So it was cool to be able to have that opportunity, but outside of me, I’m more happy that I was able to throw it to ‘Burt’ and get him involved in the game.

“He does a lot of the dirty work on offense for us and on special teams. So to be able to complete a pass to him and for him to be involved in the offensive performance that we had, it was pretty cool.”

In addition to the pass, Sutton also totaled eight receptions for 100 yards, marking his first 100-yard game of the season. Sunday was a big day for the veteran wide receiver.

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5 takeaways from Broncos’ 28-14 win over Panthers

Here are five takeaways from the Broncos’ victory over the Panthers on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 28-14 at home in Week 8. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

1. Courtland Sutton gets rewarded: Sutton was a good sport after he drew zero targets in the team’s last game. He followed that up with his first 100-yard performance since 2022 with eight catches for 100 yards on Sunday. He also completed a pass, keeping his 100% completion rate alive (3-of-3).

2. Nik Bonitto’s sack streak continues: With one sack against Bryce Young, Bonitto has now recorded a sack in six straight games. He’s the first Bronco to accomplish that feat since Von Miller in 2018. The team’s all-time record is held by Simon Fletcher (ten straight games). He might not catch Denver’s all-time record, Bonitto does have the longest active streak in the NFL.

3. Nobody will feel sorry for Jaycee Horn: CBS cameras caught Horn chirping at Broncos coach Sean Payton after the game for attempting to run up the score. This is Horn’s fourth season in the NFL. Having that kind of reaction to a professional football team running a fake field goal and trick play in the fourth quarter won’t draw him any sympathy. This is the Big Time.

4. Bo Nix continues to trend up: Yes, it was against a struggling defense, but that was exactly the kind of performance we wanted to see from Nix. The rookie quarterback went 28-of-37 passing for 284 yards with three touchdown passes and no turnovers, good for a 124.2 passer rating. Nix also rushed for a touchdown and he’s the team’s first QB since John Elway (1996) to have multiple games with at least two passing touchdowns and a rushing score in in the same season.

5. The real test is yet to come: The Broncos took care of business against the Panthers, as they were expected to. Now the team has back-to-back road games on deck against the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (7-0). Denver can’t lose two fumbles and get away with it against AFC contenders like they did against the lowly Panthers. Sunday was a good team win, but the Broncos have work to do. We’ll find out a lot about this team over the next two weeks.

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