Without a word, the Broncos told loyal wide receiver Courtland Sutton to sit down, smile pretty and take a number in line.

Denver has money to spend on talent. But for Sutton?

Sorry, bud. Not at this time.

Sutton got bypassed at the payday window. Again.

The Broncos could’ve put that $5.25 million they used Tuesday to lure veteran running back J.K. Robbins from the L.A. Chargers in the pocket of Sutton.

In fact, if life were 100% fair, maybe they should have rewarded Sutton.

But they didn’t, because this is football. And football, as we are reminded over and over, is a cold, bottom-line business.

In a sport where money talks, I’m afraid woulda, coulda and shoulda are as foreign to the NFL vernacular as loyalty.

Sutton is a damn good football player, an exemplary teammate and as righteous a dude as you will find in the Denver locker room.

But as Sutton approaches his 30th birthday and the final 17 regular-season games on his contract, this is no time for warm fuzzies. If he wants to remain in Denver, Sutton must play at the team’s price and on the team’s terms.

The Broncos would be foolish to offer him a day or penny more than two years for a total of $44 million, with $25 million guaranteed. That would be more than fair for a very solid but unspectacular No. 1 receiver.

If Sutton wants more, with the expectation to get paid like a legit top-10 receiver he never will be, then the Broncos should thank him for his time, wish him well and say goodbye at the conclusion of this season.

Under the unrelenting sun on a June day made for making a farmer’s tan, members of the media horde at Broncos Park were too hunched over their cell phones, entranced by breaking news on the big X machine, to not give bonny prince Sean Payton the regal welcome he so richly deserves as the coach took the podium for his press conference after practice.

Without so much as saying hello, intrepid reporter Andy Lindahl of Altitude Sports Radio barked out: "Sean, did you guys sign J.K. Dobbins?"

Like the control freak he is, Payton bristles when any media wretch attempts to steer the narrative to a place the coach isn’t prepared to go.

“Well,” said Payton, getting his crabby pants in a bunch, “I’m not gonna answer to any reports. I think we’re close. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Well, I’m here to tell you today: Sutton still doesn’t have the new, long-term contract he has sought for more than a year.

He might have been Bo Nix’s best friend and most reliable target during the quarterback’s rookie season, but when it came time for the Broncos to pony up cash for players regarded as core pieces of future success, it didn't happen.

During Payton’s short tenure as coach, Denver has spent big on tackle Mike McGlinchey, guard Quinn Meinerz, cornerback Pat Surtain II and Garett Bolles, who was forced to wait until late in the final season of his contract before being rewarded with a four-year, $82 million deal last December.

“I’m like a Chevy,” Bolles said. “I don’t break down, like a Ford does.”

When parked alongside the No. 1 receivers across the league, Sutton is more Ford than Ferrari.

While his 81 catches for eight touchdowns and 1,081 yards last season ranked second in his seven-year pro career to his Pro Bowl worthy campaign in 2019, it would be foolhardy to project that the best is yet to come for Sutton, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in London, when the Broncos are scheduled to play the New York Jets in October.

In the NFL, young turks rule at wide receiver. There were a dozen wideouts that produced more receiving yardage than Sutton in 2024.

Their average age? 24.3-years-old.

And that number was skewed higher by Washington’s Terry McLaurin, a 29-year-old veteran who is sitting out mandatory mini-camp in a contract dispute with the Commanders.

The best salary comps for Sutton at this point in his career? Let’s take a look at deals signed in recent months.

Chris Godwin, 29, got three years and $66 million to stay with Tampa Bay.

Davante Adams, 32, agreed to $44 million for two years with the L.A. Rams.

Stefon Diggs, 31, joined New England for three years and $63.5 million.

While he doesn’t bring the diva factor that accompanies Diggs to the huddle, it would require viewing Sutton's career through orange-and-blue tinted glasses to regard him as better than Godwin or Adams.

It seems to me that getting new deals done with defensive lineman Zach Allen or edge-rusher Nik Bonitto should take priority over showing Sutton more money.

Nobody said life is far in the Not For Long.

After this season, if the price isn’t right, Sutton should be long gone.