Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Getty
Courtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos warms up before a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Denver Broncos’ trade for Jaylen Waddle has created a storm of reactions, including from him and fellow former Alabama Crimson Tide star Pat Surtain II. However, Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton might be the most telling.
Sutton is one of the Broncos’ longest-tenured players, and he is coming off his fifth straight season as a team captain. His comments surely hold weight in the Broncos’ locker room.
That is key amid some of the split reactions over the Broncos’ trade for Waddle.
Courtland Sutton Weighs In After Broncos Trade
Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos
GettyJaylen Waddle #17 of the Miami Dolphins looks on during warmups before a game against the Buffalo Bills.
Sutton was a second-round pick, taken 40th overall by the Broncos during the 2018 draft. He was one of the Broncos’ most ardent supporters of Bo Nix after Denver selected the quarterback 12th overall in 2024.
Sutton’s reaction to the Broncos’ trade for Waddle was short, but the message was very clear.
“LET’SSSSSS GOOOOO!!!” Sutton captioned a graphic of Waddle in a Broncos jersey on his Instagram story on March 17.
The Denver Post’s Luca Evans noted while sharing the post, “Sutton often had safeties shade his way in ‘25. Waddle could help change whole dynamic there. A guy who will help big-time in scheming ways to beat defenses over the top, opens things up for others.”
Luca Evans
Courtland Sutton on IG earlier reacting to the Waddle trade.
Sutton often had safeties shade his way in ‘25. Waddle could help change whole dynamic there. A guy who will help big-time in scheming ways to beat defenses over the top, opens things up for others
Sutton is coming off his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
He crossed the mark for the first time since his Pro Bowl campaign in 2019 during Nix’s rookie season. Sutton is well aware of the asset Waddle is to the Broncos’ offense.
Former NFL executive Louis Riddick, now an analyst for ESPN, is certainly a fan, saying in a post on X that “the composition of the #Broncos WR room is just like you want it to be now. Complementary skill sets. [dartboard/bullseye emoji].”
Broncos Catching Heat Over Blockbuster Trade
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
GettyCourtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos makes the catch against the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
The trade for Waddle may sit well with Sutton and many Broncos fans, but there are questions about the decision to invest so heavily in a player many view as a complementary piece. That includes some in Broncos Country.
Denver Sports’ Andrew Mason compared the deal to the Pittsburgh Steelers acquiring Michael Pittman Jr. (and a seventh-round selection) from the Indianapolis Colts for a sixth-round pick.
“Denver got a talented receiver, but the Broncos didn’t get a steal. If anything, the Broncos paid too high a price,” Mason posted on X, showing how comparable the players’ production is. “Bottom line: Only if they win a Super Bowl will it be worth it. If they get the big ring, the trade is a success. That’s how this will be measured.”
The reactions were quite similar from the outside looking in, too.
“Denver gave up a boatload,” former Dolphins receiver Jimmy Cefalo said, per The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. “He’s a good receiver don’t get me wrong but..that’s a king’s ransom. Are they looking at him like he’s the final piece of the puzzle in Denver?”
Cefalo said that he was “shocked” to see what the Broncos surrendered, which left them with one selection (No. 62 overall) in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft.
Still, Sutton’s reaction to the trade for Waddle could bode well for the Broncos.