When the Denver Broncos take the field against the Tennessee Titans on Monday night, they're unlikely to have wide receiver Courtland Sutton out there with them. Sutton, an 1,100-yard receiver a year ago, is expected to be inactive, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Sutton sprained an AC joint during practice last week.
Head coach Vic Fangio had previously stated that if Sutton could do jumping-jacks, he would be able to play in the game.
With Sutton sidelined, rookie wideout Jerry Jeudy will presumably operate as the team's No. 1 wide receiver. The Broncos moved aggressively to upgrade the pass-catching corps for second-year quarterback Drew Lock, selecting Jeudy in the first round, K.J. Hamler in the second, and Albert Okwuegbunam in the fourth, adding the rookie trio to a group that already included Sutton and second-year tight end Noah Fant.
Lock went 4-1 as a starter down the stretch of last season, showing flashes of the talent that made him a top prospect but also some of the accuracy and turnover issues that eventually dropped him out of the first round. It seems clear that the Broncos have confidence in their young signal-caller, but part of that confidence was presumably based on having a full arsenal at his disposal. If Sutton indeed sits, Lock's first test of the season will become an even tougher one.
