Sean Payton praises his Pro Bowl wide receiver’s all-around game

Courtland Sutton is back in the Pro Bowl after a six-year absence, something he earned by doing all of the things that make head coaches happy

BY JAMES MERILATT

Dec 23, 2025, 2:58 PM Updated: 5:45 pm

Follow on Google News

Watch: Can Vance Joseph Fix Another December Broncos Defensive Swoon? | Orange and Blue Today | 25 mins

Back in 2019, Courtland Sutton was an up-and-coming star in the NFL. The second-year wide receiver racked up 72 receptions for 1,112 yards, including six touchdowns. Along the way, he made some acrobatic, highlight-reel catches.

Then, the injury bug bit. Sutton suffered a major knee injury early in the 2020 campaign, an injury that took took away some of his athleticism. As a result, the wideout had to change his game as he regained his health.

Now, he’s back to his old self. In every possible way.

This season, Sutton has been fantastic. Through 15 games, he has 69 catches for 972 yards, finding the end zone on seven occasions.

And he’s back making circus catches. Those 50/50 footballs have once again tilted in Sutton’s favor.

As a result, he’s a big part of the Broncos offense, helping them to a 12-3 record. And now, he’s once again a Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Sutton was one of six Broncos selected to the roster on Monday. And on Tuesday, his head coach had a lot of praise for his star wideout.

“He’s about everything you look for in a football player,” Sean Payton told reporters.

That’s not always the case with receivers. Long considered the biggest divas in football, not all wideouts run full-speed routes when they aren’t the primary target, block on running plays and do the dirty work needed for an offense to succeed.

Sutton does. And he’s being rewarded for his performance.