Denver Broncos star wide receiver and Bo Nix hype man Courtland Sutton finished with one catch for four yards in Week 4's 24-14 loss at San Francisco, leading to a response from coach Sean Payton. Sutton, who had a 1,000-plus yard season with young QB Bo Nix at the controls of his team's offense in 2025, has just 82 yards heading into Week 5 (after hyping up new offensive coordinator Davis Webb's system), prompting concerns from Payton.

Payton said that time is of the essence as he was quoted by Zac Stevens of DNVR Broncos.

“How do we get him away from the rotation…There are a handful of things that aren't clicking,” Payton said. “We got to figure it out fast.”

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Sutton's track record of two straight 1,000-yard seasons heading into the 2026 season suggests that he has what it takes to turn things around, but it's going to take a team effort. Denver's running game was held to 82 yards in San Francisco, a rough final number that generally won't pave the way to victory, particularly in a road game against a Super Bowl contender.

The Broncos' Week 4 loss included a brutal injury hit taken by Patrick Surtain II that looks worrisome. Sutton's running mate Pat Bryant was also carted off the field during the loss which has drastically depleted the Broncos' receiver room.

Payton has his work cut out for him with the Broncos in need of good news headed toward Week 5's game at the Chargers on October 11. Sutton and the Broncos can win football games in a wide variety of ways, which should heighten their focus and resourcefulness as the middle of the season draws near.