Going into his eighth year in the NFL, wide receiver Courtland Sutton is the Denver Broncos‘ second-longest tenured player (behind left tackle Garett Bolles), and he’s been a team captain each season since 2021. Sutton is more than just WR1 — he’s like a member of the coaching staff for Sean Payton.

During training camp earlier this month, the Broncos had multiple pre-snap penalties when wide receivers did not line up correctly. “And I just turned and yelled at Sutton. I said, ‘You get that fixed,'” Payton recalled last week.

Advertisement

Of course, Keary Colbert is the team’s actual wide receivers coach. “Keary Colbert knows if I’m yelling at Sutton, I’m yelling at him as well,” Payton said. But the veteran receiver is a mentor to his teammates.

“Courtland, it got handled [that week],” Payton said. “Then on top of that, he’s out here. There are all the elements, the work ethic, the production, and how he lives his life and then how he handles this game. One of the challenges always in free agency is you can’t pay everyone, but you want to make sure you’re paying makeup in character because the contract, none of that will impact just how he practices and how he approaches the game. It’s really beneficial for us as an offense.”

Earlier this week, Denver safety Brandon Jones called Sutton “the ultimate team leader.”

“He’s taken all the young guys under his wing,” Jones said. “He’s always looking for ways to better his craft. He’s very similar to me, as you can never get comfortable and you can never be too good. There’s always room for improvement and room for growth. He’s been a super vocal guy. He has been helping these young guys out. [He is a] very, very savvy receiver from what I’ve seen.”

Advertisement

After hauling in 81 receptions for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns last season, Sutton was rewarded with a four-year, $92 million contract extension. The 29-year-old receiver is a crucial member of the team — on and off the field.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Courtland Sutton helping coach up Broncos’ wide receivers