If you’ve spent any time looking at a courtland sutton game log, you know the drill. It’s a wild ride. One week he’s hauling in a physics-defying toe-tap touchdown that breaks the internet, and the next, he’s basically a ghost in a low-volume rushing attack.
But honestly? That’s the life of a perimeter alpha in a Sean Payton offense led by a young quarterback like Bo Nix.
We’re looking at a guy who just wrapped up a 2025 regular season where he managed to crack the 1,000-yard mark for the second year in a row. It wasn't always pretty. Sometimes it was downright frustrating for fantasy managers. Yet, when you dig into the actual numbers from this past year, you see a veteran who has completely mastered the art of the "bail-out" catch.
Breaking Down the 2025 Courtland Sutton Game Log
The 2025 season was a testament to durability. Sutton played all 17 games, finishing with 74 receptions for 1,017 yards and 7 touchdowns. If you compare that to his 2024 campaign (81 catches for 1,081 yards and 8 TDs), the consistency is almost spooky. He has settled into this role as the undisputed focal point of the Denver passing game.
Let's look at how the season actually flowed, because the raw totals don't tell the whole story.
The Hot Start and the Mid-Season Lull
Sutton came out swinging. In Week 3 against the Chargers, he put up a massive 118 yards on 6 catches, including a 52-yard bomb that reminded everyone he still has that deep-threat gear. He followed that up in Week 4 against Cincinnati with 81 yards and a score.
Then, things got weird.
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Between Week 6 and Week 10, the volume took a hit. He had a 17-yard outing against the Jets and a 24-yard game against the Raiders. Why? Mostly because Bo Nix was seeing a lot of two-high safety looks, and Payton opted to lean on the ground game and shorter intermediate routes to TEs.
The December Surge
When the weather turned, Sutton turned it on.
- Week 13 (vs. Commanders): 5 catches, 62 yards, 1 TD.
- Week 15 (vs. Packers): 7 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD.
- Week 16 (vs. Jaguars): 6 catches, 86 yards, 1 TD.
That three-game stretch essentially saved the Broncos' playoff hopes. He was dominant in contested catch situations, which has basically become his signature. According to PFF, Sutton remained near the top of the league in "unrealized air yards," meaning if a few more of those deep shots had connected, we’d be talking about a 1,300-yard season.
Why the "Raiders Trend" is Actually Real
There is a hilarious thread on Reddit that suggests Sutton has one "boom" game and one "bust" game against the Raiders every single year. Looking at the courtland sutton game log for 2025, the legend holds up.
In Week 10 at home against Las Vegas, he was held to just 24 yards. Fast forward to Week 14 in the desert? He grabbed 6 balls for 62 yards in a crucial win. It’s not a 150-yard explosion, but in the context of a gritty divisional game, it was the "boom" performance the Broncos needed.
He seems to save his most physical play for AFC West rivals. He averaged over 14 yards per catch against non-divisional opponents, but his targets-per-game actually went up during division play. Nix looks for him when the pocket collapses, and against the Raiders and Chiefs, that happens a lot.
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Contextualizing the Stats: Beyond the Box Score
It is easy to look at a stat line of 4 catches for 40 yards (like his Week 17 game against KC) and think he had a "bad" day. You've got to watch the tape.
Sutton is often drawing the opponent's best corner—think L'Jarius Sneed or Patrick Surtain II (if he were on another team). In 2025, Sutton commanded a 21.6% target share. That’s elite. He also led the team with 19 red-zone targets.
The Efficiency Gap
One thing that stands out in the 2025 data is his 60% catch rate. Some critics argue that’s too low for a WR1.
Counter-point: Look at his Average Depth of Target (aDOT).
Sutton’s aDOT was 13.3 yards. When you are primarily catching deep outs, fades, and posts, your catch percentage is naturally going to be lower than a slot receiver catching five-yard slants. He’s doing the heavy lifting.
The Bo Nix Connection
The chemistry between Sutton and Nix is the real reason Denver's offense took a step forward. Early in 2024, they were off-sync. By the end of 2025, Nix was throwing the ball to spots before Sutton even made his break. That "back-shoulder" fade has become nearly undefendable.
Advanced Metrics You Should Know
If you're a fantasy player or just a stat nerd, these numbers from the 2025 season define who Sutton is right now:
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- Air Yards Share: Sutton accounted for 34.2% of Denver's total air yards. Basically, if the ball was going deep, it was going to #14.
- Yards Per Route Run (YPRR): He averaged 1.73 YPRR. While not in the Justin Jefferson tier, it puts him firmly in the "High-End WR2 / Low-End WR1" bracket.
- Contested Catch Rate: He hauled in 38.5% of his "50/50" balls. While lower than his 2024 peak, it still ranked in the top 20 for receivers with at least 100 targets.
What Most People Get Wrong About Courtland Sutton
The biggest misconception is that he's "just a jump-ball guy."
While he’s 6'4" and 216 pounds, his 2025 game log shows he's actually improved significantly in his route running against zone coverage. He’s finding the "soft spots" more effectively than he did three years ago. He isn't just out-leaping people; he's out-thinking them.
Another myth? That he’s "old."
Sutton turned 30 in October 2025. In the modern NFL, that’s often the start of a "crafty veteran" prime. He doesn't rely on 4.3 speed, so he won't fall off a cliff just because he lost a step. His game is built on strength, reach, and timing.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you're tracking Sutton for the 2026 season or looking back at his 2025 performance to project his value, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Matchups: Sutton struggles against "Two-High" safety shells. If a team has two deep safeties (like Green Bay did in Week 15), his production relies almost entirely on a lucky touchdown.
- Home/Road Splits: He tends to perform better at Mile High. The altitude seems to gash tired corners, and Sutton’s conditioning is top-tier.
- Third Down Dependency: He is Nix’s "first read" on 3rd and 6+. If the Broncos are struggling to move the chains, expect Sutton’s target count to skyrocket.
Sutton remains the heartbeat of the Denver receiving corps. He might not give you the 200-yard games that Tyreek Hill produces, but his floor is incredibly high because of how much Sean Payton trusts him in high-leverage situations.
For the most accurate projection of his next game, you should monitor the "First Read" target percentage in the weeks leading up. When that number stays above 25%, a "boom" game is almost always around the corner.