“It wasn’t about me,” the Broncos’ veteran receiver told me after practice Tuesday at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. “At the end of the day, yes, we work in a business of compensation.

“(There’s) talent in that locker room, guys that are coming up, that are trying to get their second contract. I was blessed to be able to get my third. They put the work in just the same way as I have. And some of those guys have more accolades than I have when it comes to the NFL side of things … and to be able to sign the deal that we did, it gives us a chance to keep those guys around.”

Nik Bonitto’s reps are pursuing an extension. Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, P.J. Locke, Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are all heading into contract years.

“Were you conscious of that?” I asked Sutton.

He nodded.

“1,000%,” the wideout replied. “1,000%.”

Big 14 and the Broncos agreed to a four-year deal worth $92 million on Monday. He’ll take home $23 million per year, on average. Nice work if you can get it, only there’s a twist: Spotrac.com’s “market value” estimator pegged Sutton’s worth at about $27 million annually, even suggesting a three-year deal for him in the range of $79.8 million.

DK Metcalf’s playing on a four-year deal with Pittsburgh worth $33 million in annual salary. The Eagles’ A.J. Brown signed a three-year extension through 2029 reportedly worth an average of $32 million a year.

Sutton’s racked up more catches than Metcalf since the start of the 2023 season (140 to 132). Court’s also accounted for 19 touchdowns over that span, compared to Brown’s 14 and Metcalf’s 13.

In other words, at age 29, on what might be his last massive NFL payday, the dude left a little money on the table.

You know what? That was by design, the receiver says. Sutton wants to keep the band together as badly as you do.

“The deal that we wound up signing is a great deal, and it was very beneficial to myself,” he said. “And it gives us a chance to be able to keep a lot of really good players around on this team and for years to come.”

Even with Russell Wilson coming off the books, it’s going to take some cap gymnastics to keep one of the best defenses in franchise history intact. Every nickel helps.

And if you want a no-drama training camp, well, that starts at the top. As a captain, Sutton has remained one of the Broncos’ good soldiers — through joy, pain, hail, locusts, Patrick Star and Nathaniel Hackett.

When pressed about state secrets, Sean Payton makes the KGB look warm and fuzzy. Yet the Broncos head coach trusts Sutton unflinchingly. That says a lot, too.

“If you didn’t say a word, the young guys watch his preparation and his work ethic,” Payton said. “Obviously, his experience (rubs off) with all of those players. But it really starts with this preparation in here (and) onto the field. He’s everything you want in a pro.”

After Payton arrived in Dove Valley two years ago, he brought Sutton, who’d battled injuries and inconsistency, into his office. Worried that Sutton had gotten too heavy, the coach put on some clips from No. 14’s Pro Bowl season in 2019.

“Look,” Payton told him. “I want this guy.”

So far, he’s gotten it. Sutton set personal bests in targets (135), catches (81) and receiving yards (1,081) last fall.

When talking about Sutton Tuesday, Payton sounded positively effusive, especially by Sunshine Sean standards. He even likened No. 14 to Marques Colston, arguably the best receiver he ever had in New Orleans.

“When you get to know him, he doesn’t have too many bad days,” Payton said. “Those guys with the right energy — man, there’s a lot to be said for that.”

There’s a lot to be said for a $27 million receiver who takes $23 million happily, puts his head down, and gets to work.

“I had the utmost faith that something was going to get done,” Sutton said. “And the last thing that I wanted to be was a distraction. That’s what I’ve done my entire career, and that’s what I want to continue to do is not be a distraction.”

And where would Bo Nix be without him? Sutton caught six of his eight TDs last fall from the Broncos’ second-year quarterback after Halloween. During the offseason, the pair couldn’t help but get a little giddy about what they’d already built over such a tiny window.

“I may have the years on him in terms of (an) NFL career. But the dude understands ball and understands leadership to a different level,” Sutton said. “That’s why he is where he is. And so to be able to walk hand-in-hand with him is amazing. And we just try to lead the best way we possibly can for this team so that we can ultimately get to the end goal.”

“Did Bo ever twist your arm to get this contract done?” I wondered.

“He never pressured me in a bad way,” Sutton said. “And that’s the one thing I respected whenever he and I had conversations — he always was right there with me.

“But he knew that I wanted to be here at the end of the day. He knew that this was home. He knew I would do whatever I possibly could to be able to stay here. And make sure that everyone else gets what they deserve as well.”

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“I’m so sorry he had to go through this,” Anita Cunningham told me over the phone early Monday night. Then she laughed. “But, hey, welcome to the club.”

Cunningham, a bladder cancer survivor from Douglas County, volunteers in greater Denver for BCAN, the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. She’s been cancer-free — and bladder-free — for about half a decade now.

Anita still bikes. Still hikes. Still swims. When we spoke about Coach Prime’s cancer diagnosis on Monday, she was on her way to play pickleball.

“(I was), ‘Get out of my way, I’ve got a life to live,'” Cunningham said. “‘With or without the bladder, I’ll figure it out.'”

She thinks the 57-year-old Sanders, who announced Monday that he’d battled and beaten bladder cancer, will figure it out, too.

“I know people who are 27 years cancer-free,” Cunningham continued. “So there is life after diagnosis. It’s just different.”

Cunningham, who was initially diagnosed in 2018, went with an ileal conduit, which involves a pouch that catches and holds urine.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said. “But I’m glad he’s on the road to recovery.”

Anita was born into a family of Buffs. Full disclosure: She also wound up going to CSU. Although when it comes to the Bladder Cancer Survivors’ Club, everybody wears the same colors. And the same scars.

“I do wish him well,” Cunningham said. “And I hope, if he ever needs anything, he will reach out to BCAN. As far as resources, I know he’s got the best people possible. But sometimes, when you’re talking to somebody who’s walked the walk, it’s different.”

BCAN actually holds an annual charity walk in Denver for bladder cancer awareness, and Cunningham would like to invite Coach Prime to be a part of it. About 200 folks participated in the 2025 “Walk To End Bladder Cancer” at Great Lawn Park this past May. Ronald Douglas, who organizes the event with Anita, has another lined up for next spring.

“He’s just very open,” Douglas, who has battled non-invasive bladder cancer since 2011, said of Sanders.

“When you lose your bladder, that’s kind of a big deal. I admire him more than ever. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I admire the guy. It’s not an easy road without a bladder.”

Bladder cancer is the fourth-most common cancer in men, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s the 10th-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., with one out of every 125 male cases proving fatal and one out of every 333 female cases.

And Douglas isn’t a Buff, either. He was born and raised in Berkeley, Calif., a Cal Bear to the bone.

“We should all be so forthright with issues like this,” Douglas said. “He really laid it on the line.

“… I can’t tell you how grateful I am for him speaking up and speaking out and being gutsy about it. And maybe, because of him, somebody else down the road will have heard about this.”

Bob Emmerling happened to be on the road Monday morning while Coach Prime was meeting with reporters. Emmerling had, coincidentally, just turned up for his first radiation treatment at around 11:30 when he heard Sanders’ announcement.

The 66-year-old Limon native had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March and started chemo in early April.

“I felt like someone was just taking a blunt poker (to my back) and just pushing and wouldn’t let up for three days in a row,” Emmerling recalled. “I said (to my wife), ‘You’ve got to take me to the ER right now.'”

Good thing. As any mother or wife will happily remind you, most dudes just aren’t programmed well for pain. Still, as Emmerling reminded me, cancer’s not the kind of thing you can just rub some dirt on and walk off.

“I’ve tried to talk to my male friends since I turned 50,” Emmerling stressed, “telling everyone that this is not something to joke around with.”

Bob said it took longer for him to get comfortable on the table to receive treatment on Monday than it did to get scanned.

“It’s in and out in 15 minutes,” Emmerling said. “It’s just something that you have to go through.”

Sanders’ frank news conference in Boulder reminded Douglas of his own diagnosis nearly 15 years earlier. Like Coach Prime, his primary care physician didn’t exactly mince words.

“‘We have a problem,’ is what he said,” Douglas recalled. “‘I’ll show it to you.’ And it was ugly.

“He was very blunt. But he saved my life.”

Cunningham feels Coach Prime will be getting on just fine with his life, starting with CU’s opener against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29. And bladder or no bladder, her pickleball game’s never been better.

“I’m sorry that he has to be that voice,” Anita said, “but I hope he can become someone who will help get money for research. Because it’s a cancer that’s being looked at as treatable, it’s not … I just don’t think you have the celebrity status like breast cancer has.”

It’s got a celebrity now. A spokesperson for BCAN told me late Monday afternoon that the organization’s Web page about bladder removal had seen more than a 25% spike compared to the previous 24 hours. Of all the bumps from The Prime Effect, that one just might be the best yet.

For more information on the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, visit bcan.org.

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The CU Buffs coach addressed his health Monday at the CU Touchdown Club adjacent to Folsom Field. He was flanked at the table by Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of Urologic Oncology at CU Cancer Center, and by Lauren Askevold, CU’s assistant athletic trainer.

Sanders was diagnosed with an aggressive cancerous tumor in his bladder during a health check-up this past spring.

The coach had his bladder removed. Kukreja said he is now cancer-free.

Renck: CU’s Deion Sanders inspires by taking cancer battle public, making uncomfortable topic comfortable

"We're gonna beat this, (aren't) we?" Sanders asked Kukreja Monday.

"It's beaten," she replied.

Sanders, 57, has coached through health challenges before. The Pro Football Hall-of-Famer missed three games with Jackson State in 2021. He's battled blood clot issues in the past, and had surgery to address a clot in his right leg in 2023.

Askevold said the tumor was diagnosed during CU's spring football practices this past April and that the surgery was completed by early May.

The CU coach was notably absent from June camps in Boulder, leading to multiple reports that Sanders was still dealing with an unspecified health issue that would keep him away from campus.

The Florida native told Asante Samuel that he recently had lost 14 pounds. Sanders said Monday that he'd dropped about 25 pounds.

Coach Prime encouraged men to "get checked ... without wonderful people like this, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”

The Buffs opened their preseason camp this week and will start the 2025 season on August 29 at Folsom Field against Georgia Tech. Coach Prime indicated he intended to return to work as normal when asked how much he had relied on his staff while he was getting treatment.

"Rely on my staff?" Sanders replied. "I'm back, baby."

This is a developing story. Please check back with DenverPost.com for updates.

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Keeler: The Rockies need to give the Yankees the Bird. As in right-handed reliever Jake Bird, whose torrid opening nine weeks — 1.67 ERA from opening day through June 1— have rival teams curious if he can repeat it for the stretch run. Bird’s turning 30 in December, and his sweeper-sinker-curve mix, according to StatCast, has raised his strikeout rate from 16.8% in 2024 to 26.7% this season. If you can miss bats at Coors, you can miss bats anywhere. The Yanks allegedly like guys with effective sweepers. You’ve already scouted their farm system in getting RyMac to the Bronx, and Bird is the kind of arm that usually brings back a low-minors lottery ticket on the pitching side. Let’s get scratching.

Renck: General manager Bill Schmidt, trying pointlessly to save his job, would love to get something for Austin Gomber. But other than his decent road numbers, the left-hander projects as a long reliever for a contender. Bird represents the latest example of the Rockies lacking self-awareness. He was oven-mitts-required hot the first two months of the season, and now, well, he’s not. Opponents are hitting .424 off him in his last eight appearances. So, be bold. Make young reliever Seth Halvorsen available. He has several years of control left before free agency. Throws 100 miles per hour. And could land multiple good players. Taking calculated risks is the only pathway out of the darkness.

Keeler:  Like the Halvorsen idea, but I’ll raise you one righty. Can you name the Rockies’ staff ERA leader since May 1? It’s reliever Victor Vodnik. He’s young (25), cost-controlled, and his average fastball velocity (98.6 mph) as of early Monday morning ranked among the top 3% of any MLB pitcher this season, according to Baseball Savant. Despite pitching at altitude, his flyball rate and ball-in-the-air rate are a healthy chunk below the league average. Contending teams who play in small yards — the Reds immediately pop to mind — could always use fireballers who know how to keep the ball on the ground.

Renck: This suggestion hurts, but hear me out: The Rockies should move Kyle Freeland. He has roughly $21.5 million left on his contract. The Rockies saved $36.5 million in the McMahon trade. Get creative — stop laughing — and eat $12 million to land one top prospect. Quantity over quality. Freeland owns a 4.18 ERA this month and has postseason and World Baseball Classic experience. He is Mr. Denver. But he deserves a chance to compete again and could be flipped for a younger starter.

Keeler:  The Rockies throw millions in salary relief to get a local hero and fan favorite off the books? We’ve seen this movie before, my friend. I love it, so it’ll never happen. It’s more likely that Schmidt and the Monforts entertain offers on outfielder Mickey Moniak, the new Nolan Jones. Although yanking The Mick’s bat from this lineup would turn a dumpster-fire offense into a volcano of pure trash in no time.

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“I think (the Nuggets) and the Houston Rockets have probably had the best summers (in the NBA),” Barkley, the longtime hoops analyst/icon, told me last Saturday night at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.

“And (the Nuggets), they’ve got the best player in the world (in Nikola Jokic). They just needed some more depth. They kind of broke the team up after they won the first championship (2023), and that’s really unfortunate. (They’ve) still got the best player. You want to give them as many opportunities as possible. But I thought they had a great summer.”

Barkley, the hoops Hall of Famer and unfiltered co-host of the best studio show this century, “Inside The NBA,” which moves to ESPN this fall, flew into town to serve as keynote speaker at Saturday’s Porter-Billups Leadership Academy (PBLA) Gala.

A weekend getaway to Denver ticked off a bunch of boxes for The Chuckster: An excuse to visit an old friend in Chauncey Billups, a window to play some golf at altitude, and a chance to support a great cause in the PBLA — a summer academy at Regis University that provides academic and leadership training to students in underserved communities in Denver.

Billups, aka Mr. Big Shot, is co-executive director of the PBLA along with his old coach at CU, Ricardo Patton. It was established in 1996 by Regis men’s basketball coach Lonnie Porter and his daughter, Staci Porter-Bentley, as a launch pad for Front Range hopes and dreams.

And speaking of Denver dreams, Chuck, did the Nuggets land enough lightning for Nikola Jokic to run with the Thunder in 2026?

“They probably had the best chance of beating OKC (in the playoffs),” Barkley replied. “So it’s not like they were that far off. But like I say, them and the Rockets have both had great summers. So that’s all you can say until they start playing.

“I thought, in no particular order, the Nuggets, the Rockets (and) the Hawks, those three teams had the best summers.”

What a difference a new front office makes. Former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth gambled two years ago that a handful of young players would turn the same corner Christian Braun did. That they’d morph into a cost-effective second unit to balance pricey contract extensions for franchise mainstays Jamal Murray ($46.4 million cap hit in ’25-26), Aaron Gordon ($22.8 million) and the Joker ($55.2 million).

Yeah, that didn’t happen. Booth and coach Michael Malone clashed, sewing the seeds of contention that got both fired this past April and forcing Nuggets ownership to re-assess. Out of the ashes came a new coach (David Adelman), new co-GMs/vice presidents (Wallace and Tenzer), and, most importantly, a roster-shifting trade that got Michael Porter Jr.’s $38.3 million cap hit for ’25-26 and $40.8-million hit for ’26-27 off the books.

MPJ and a draft pick were shipped to the Nets earlier this month, bringing back a similarly-skilled but less expensive wing forward in Cam Johnson ($21.06 million in ’25-26). That, in turn, opened up cap space for the Nuggets to trade for center Jonas Valanciunas, sign 3-point specialist Tim Hardaway Jr., and re-up with Bruce Brown, a vital, popular cog of the ’23 NBA champs.

“Bruce was a big loss (via free agency to Indiana) the first time around,” Barkley said. “And then they lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (as a free agent to Orlando). Those were big losses. But now they have retooled. Now they can look forward to the season.”

Even better, Sir Charles, continued, Nuggets fans can look forward to better shooting. Better defense. And a roster that matches up better with divisional rivals in Oklahoma City and Minnesota — as well as the Rockets, Lakers, Clippers, Warriors and Grizzlies.

“First of all, (the Nuggets) got terrific (additions). I think they got more athletic, which they really needed to do,” Barkley said.

“Because if you’re going to beat OKC and the Rockets, you’ve got to be athletic on the perimeter, especially with Durant going down there with those other guys. OKC is probably the most athletic team in the league. But like I say, they got better. And that’s all you could ask for.”

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Now, the wise apples over in the Grading The Week (GTW) offices will readily confess our sins because 1.) There are so darn many, we’ve lost count; and 2.) It’s good for the soul.

And Team GTW has got to admit: Before last Tuesday, we’d never really heard of the Colorado Summit. And, because of what is believed to be an act of sporting/community altruism … we won’t be hearing that name for very much longer.

OK, OK, OK, here’s the juice. You know that sweet Denver Summit FC logo that dropped earlier in the week? The nifty green, gold and red number? The one that’ll represent the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team? The same NWSL team that features Peyton Manning and Mikaela Shiffrin as part of its ownership group?

At any rate, the “Summit” part reportedly needed a little … um … navigating.

Denver’s Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) franchise, which calls Mines’ Marv Kay Stadium home, has been using “Summit” since it was founded in 2022.

A Classy Summit — A

Now this is usually the part that gets the lawyers excited. Because while registering trademarks can cost hundreds of dollars, acquiring them from their original rightsholder often costs a whole heck of a lot more.

The Summit could’ve played hardball. Instead, the new soccer brand/nickname was met with a public bow and a hearty congratulation on the part of the “old” Summit, the little guys on the block.

The ultimate frisbee team said via a release that it was “passing the torch” to the new NWSL team, announcing that it would “relinquish its name to Denver’s new … expansion club.”

That’s it? No shakedowns? No litigious finger-wagging? Just a “passing of the torch?” Nobody’s that nice, surely. This is America. We want receipts!

“There was no payment for the team name,” Denver Summit FC spokesperson Brendan Hannan told Denverite.com last week. “The two clubs collaborated on a mutually beneficial relationship.”

And as part of that, moving forward, the old Summit will soon cease to be the Summit at all. The frisbee crew has already begun the process of a rebrand, starting with an online survey for fans that features 10 options — “Alpine,” “Echo,” “Sky” and “Mint” are our personal faves — as well as a box for a write-in option.

Might we suggest “Class?”

Summit FC’s logos — A

And speaking of classy, a GTW salute to Matthew Wolff, who designed the new Summit FC branding. A golden sky? Check. Tip o’ the cap to Red Rocks? Check. A clean green and white base? Check and check. There’s even a secondary logo with mountains tucked inside a giant, burnt red “D” — a very cool, yet totally unique, nod to Broncos helmets past.

Betts powers Team USA to gold — A

Sticking with folks who can’t seem to stop winning, Sienna Betts just took home another trophy.

The former Grandview High School girls basketball star and UCLA signee this past Sunday helped Team USA’s national women’s basketball team notch its fourth straight gold medal in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Czechia.

Betts recorded a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in a victory over Australia that clinched the gold for the Stars & Stripes. She also averaged a double-double for the tourney (14.6 points, 10.0 boards per game) and led all players in field-goal percentage (58.7%). Her older sister, Lauren, whom she’ll join in Westwood, was part of the Team USA squad that won the U19 World Cup in 2021.

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You scan the box. Jabrill Peppers is standing upright, west of the left tackle, 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Miles away. You motion for the snap.

“I knew Peppers was spying me,” former CU Buffs quarterback Steven Montez said of the Michigan safety who introduced him to Big Ten defenses nine years ago. “We’d talked about the look. I recognized the look.”

Didn’t matter. About 1.3 seconds later, Peppers shot through the “B” gap and rolled Montez like a croissant.

“Our answer was, ‘Throw shallow on the right-hand side,'” Montez recalled. “But they had pressed the shallow. Then I was like, ‘Well, what do I do now?’ (Peppers) was just looking dead at me, and I was just like, ‘Oh, shoot. I’m just going to try to step off and make him miss.’ That didn’t work too well.”

He laughs about it now, of course. Every NCAA signal-caller has a Peppers story. A Peppers scar. A survivor’s scar. The kind of wound you’ll roll up your sleeves to show strangers and grandchildren at banquets, weddings and golf tournaments.

“That’ll live with me forever,” Montez chuckled.

Steven’s already walked a few miles where Lewis, the jewel of Deion Sanders’ 2025 recruiting class, is going. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, Montez became the first CU quarterback to throw for a touchdown on his initial NCAA pass attempt since 1959. That was against Idaho State. The next week, an injury to starter Sefo Liufau at Michigan brought him off the bench and into the Big House.

“Lewis is a stud,” Montez said of the phenom from Georgia, who’s slated to tussle with senior transfer Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub for the right to replace Shedeur Sanders as CU’s QB1.

“From what I’ve heard about him, the kid’s a stud. He can play. From what I saw in the spring, he throws it really well. No matter who they put out there, Coach Sanders is going to put them in a position to succeed.”

The Buffs start preseason camp Monday. The season opener against Georgia Tech under the lights at Folsom Field is just a month away. After two years of watching a Heisman Trophy winner (Travis Hunter) and the best passing QB ever at CU (Shedeur Sanders) take a chainsaw to Boulder’s record books, the Buffs could be handing the keys to a teenager.

Coach Prime started Lewis, who’s just 17, with the first-team offense at CU’s spring game a few months back. He brought the 2025 5-star prospect to Big 12 Media Days in Texas earlier this month.

“Props to him,” Liufau said of Lewis, “if he believes in himself, and if the coaches believe in him and see something in him.”

Montez has been there. Same for Liufau, who made seven starts as a true freshman in 2013. When I called them recently to ask what advice they’d give Lewis, they immediately went back to those freshman scars. And what JuJu can do to avoid them.

•••

Lesson No. 2: Diplomacy is hard. Really, really, really hard. Practice it anyway.

“Over the years, I’ve learned a little bit (more) how to talk to guys,” Liufau said. “How you have to pull them aside and talk to them when something goes wrong.”

Nobody likes to play the bad cop on the sidelines. The best QBs know how to do it constructively. How to not let the heat of the moment burn a bridge with a teammate who’d just missed a block or whiffed on a route.

“As a freshman, the thing I wish I’d learned a little sooner was just kind of getting to know your teammates inside and out,” Liufau said. “Not to say I didn’t know guys. But as a freshman, you’re really trying to figure out your playbook and you’re new to college life.

“For a 17-year-old, especially at the quarterback position, you’ve got a lot going on. You need to know your position. You’ve got to know everyone else’s positions on the field, so you can put the ball in the right hands.”

Liufau came to campus early in 2013 to speed up the acclimation process. He didn’t win the job during camp, which hurt. Yet that August, he also got the best piece of advice he’d receive all season, via a conversation with his father. One he’d also prescribe to Lewis.

“Stay ready,” Sefo’s dad said. “Stay humble. And stay ready. And whenever the opportunity arises, just take it.”

It came. With the Buffs floundering, Liufau made his first collegiate start against Charleston Southern on Oct. 19, throwing for 198 yards in a 43-10 CU romp.

“It was kind of hard, when you’re in the moment and when you’re in camp,” Liufau continued, “to kind of sit back and kind of see where you came from.”

The rest is BoCo history. Sefo still owns CU’s lifetime mark for passing yards (9,763) and for the single-game record passing touchdowns (seven in 2014).

“I think it was good for me to stay in high school and continue my development there, and for (Lewis), it’s different,” Liufau said. “Age is really just a number. If he can play, he can play.”

•••

Lesson No. 3: Head high. Feet on the ground. Always.

“If you win a couple of games, don’t start thinking your (stuff) don’t stink and you end up cutting corners — that you don’t have to do all the stuff you did to get there,” Montez stressed.

“And don’t get too low. Don’t ever lose confidence in yourself as a quarterback. Because if you lose that, then you lose the ability to really play at a high level. Confidence is one of the most important things to have as a quarterback.”

That and perspective. As a high school QB, think of your receiver as a door with a small window at eye level. As a prep, as long as you hit that door, you’re probably fine.

In college, you’re going to have to learn to consistently hit that window. If you’re in the NFL, it’s about hitting the keyhole. With Peppers in your face.

“Everybody kind of has that ‘Welcome To College Football’ moment, right?” Montez said.

“Mine was Peppers. I kind of had another one when Adoree Jackson picked me off when 75% of his body was out of bounds.”

Old wounds can offer a map to grace, as long as you know where you’re going. It’s not about how many times you get knocked on your can, kid. It’s how many times you pop right back up.

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He loves the big lug. Always has. Always will.

“It’s hard,” the Rockies fan from Colorado Springs said Wednesday while Colorado was blanking Nolan Arenado and St. Louis, 6-0, at an overcast Coors Field. “It (stinks). It’s a hard thing, as a Rockies fan, to see someone who’s been here for so long go.

“But I understand, at this point in our franchise’s existence, he’s more valuable to us as a trade piece than on the field… I think it’s his time to move on and hopefully go win a championship.”

Wednesday was the Rockies’ last home game until Aug. 1. It’s also the last one before the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

No coincidence, then, that a lot of Ry Mac replica jerseys were on hand — Troutman brought a white one — to mix with a sea of the usual “ARENADO 28s” in purple and red.

Speaking of McMahon — you know, the Yankees still need help at the hot corner. So do the Tigers, Mariners and Cubs.

“Yeah, it’s hard to avoid it, man,” McMahon, the Rockies’ 30-year-old third baseman, told me after an 0-for-3 day that included a walk and a run scored. “… I’m a baseball fan, so I follow a bunch of baseball accounts on all my social media. I like to stay up with the game. So, you definitely see it. But you show up to the field, you see the guys — I mean, that kind of resets you, right? You get in here with guys you care about, that you like playing the game with, and it’s just, ‘All right, let’s just go play ball.'”

Rockies fans I talked to had already skipped several stages of grief at the idea of losing No. 24 before the end of the month. Tom Lathrop, also of the Springs, hasn’t just let go. He sounded as if he’d rounded “bargaining” and slid into “acceptance” about three homestands ago.

“I think they can get some really good (prospects) for him,” offered Lathrop. “And with some of the (Rockies’) starting pitchers, I think it’s probably time.”

Past time, now that you mention it. Dick Monfort’s nostalgia streak has left an organization naked and afraid.

Last week, I asked the hottest GM tandem in town, the Nuggets’ Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer, if they’d ever thought about moonlighting in a baseball front office. They laughed. They also got the point.

The Nuggets had to shake off any personal affections for Michael Porter Jr. in order to move forward again as a franchise. If you love a player and hate a contract, that contract probably needs to be moved. Lesson learned.

McMahon, a glove-first All-Star with home run pop, is one of four players left from those heady #Rocktober runs of 2017 and 2018. Seven years later, every one of those guys is on the wrong side of 30, and on deals that are a pain in the rump to get off the books.

“I’ve loved playing here,” McMahon continued. “I’d love to continue playing here and hopefully win.

“But again, whatever the organization decides to do, I can say from the bottom of my heart, I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve had interacting with fans here.”

This could be it for McMahon. This could be it for Jake Bird. Maybe even for Mickey Moniak, who, like Tyler Freeman, has been useful salvage during a season that’s otherwise turned into the mother of all dumpster fires.

“I would love to stay,” said the 27-year-old Moniak, who’s posted a .275 average and a career-best 15 home runs with Colorado. “I’ve said it the whole time since I’ve got here. The Rockies have always shown confidence in me as a player. When I got released … they were the first to call.

“I love the city of Denver. The fans have been awesome, even through this tough stretch of games we’ve been playing. So, yeah, we’d definitely love to be a Rockie for as long as possible. If I were to get traded, I’m just grateful to be playing.”

Troutman was grateful, too, toasting the pair from the left-field concourse while wishing they could be flipped for prospects tomorrow.

He also knows the Rox might not get much. McMahon was a career .819 OPS hitter in Denver going into Wednesday with a lifetime OPS of .664 away from Coors. This is a front office, after all, that shipped Arenado and cash to St. Louis four years ago for Austin Gomber and a ball of lint.

“If the return is like what happened to Nolan, then we have an issue,” Troutman cracked. “If it’s a good trade, then, good for (McMahon), good for us. I understand it. And I think it’s probably in the cycle of the Rockies’ life to let that happen.”

A gentleman in one of those white-and-green Ryan McMahon City Connect jerseys made a point to grab a bite on the main concourse in between Ry Mac at-bats, midway through the sixth.

“He’s the reason why we’re here,” the man told me. “Just don’t use my name.”

“Why?” I wondered. “Are you playing hooky on a Wednesday?”

He grinned.

“Sort of. But McMahon is why we wanted to be here.”

One last look.

Probably.

Maybe.

“He’s been pretty good for us,” Troutman said. He nodded up the third-base line as McMahon’s glove kissed the corner where so many doubles went to die. “But it’s just time to move on.”

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Since 2023, the Broncos’ 25-year-old edge rusher has averaged a sack every 57.3 snaps. That’s a better clip, if you’re curious, than TJ Watt (61.3), Myles Garrett (58.5) and Danielle Hunter (60.4).

Watt just landed an extension from Pittsburgh worth $41 million per year. Garrett’s contract with Cleveland averages $40 million. Hunter’s on a 1-year, $35.6-million deal with Houston.

“I’ve got to imagine (Bonitto) is looking at more than $30 million per year,” former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry told me by phone Tuesday.

“When you have multiple guys over $40 million per season — (Micah) Parsons will get there, (Aidan) Hutchinson (too) — (he’s thinking), ‘I need to reap the benefits of that.'”

If it’s me, I make Bonitto wait. I pay wide receiver Courtland Sutton and defensive end Zach Allen first as a reward for services rendered. I’m tempted to give Allen the bag and Bonitto the franchise tag. Do it one more time, kid. One more double-digit sack season, then I’ll back up the Brink’s truck.

Corry chuckled at that. He got it. But then he kindly pointed out one problem with that plan: The open market.

If I don’t pay Bonitto now, the analyst noted, I’m letting someone else — probably Dallas with Parsons, maybe the Lions with Hutchinson — set No. 15’s asking price going forward. Especially if Bonitto repeats his Pro Bowl numbers (13.5 sacks, two fumbles forced, four pass break-ups) from 2024.

“I don’t think (the Broncos) want to go there,” Corry said.

He also thinks they don’t want to bump the former Oklahoma Sooners star’s base salary from the $5.346 million he’s due this fall to something in the $30-million-ish neighborhood without seeing him do it again.

“They may look at it from the standpoint (of), ‘We want certainty,'” Corry noted. “Obviously, the earlier you do a deal, the cheaper it’s going to be. But if you’re not certain that what you see is what you’re going to get, maybe you wait.”

But there’s a darned good reason why you don’t. The Broncos got ahead of the market on cornerback Pat Surtain II, giving him a four-year contract last September before his 25th birthday worth $96.2 million — $77.5 million of that guaranteed.

Talk about a bargain. PS2 responded with the best season of his career. Surtain won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors and provided the kind of cover that helped Vance Joseph’s defense pile up the most sacks in a season in franchise history.

“That’s a prime example,” Corry continued, “of why you do a great player (extension) as soon as possible.”

“So let’s cut to the chase,” I countered. “Is Bonitto great — or very good?”

A pause.

“Let’s put it this way,” Corry replied. “He’s not to edge rushers what Pat Surtain II is to cornerbacks.”

“OK, so how close is he to say, TJ Watt?”

Another pause.

“I wouldn’t put him (up) there yet either,” Corry said. “He’s done it once. But sometimes all you need is once to get paid.”

It’s easy to understand the arguments against breaking the bank for Bonitto. The fourth-year linebacker is as lean (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) as he is mean. He’s still a too-frequent target for opponent rushing attacks — Pro Football Focus last season graded him 48th in run defense out of 72 NFL edge rushers who logged at least 500 snaps. And while 10% of Watt’s sacks and 21% of Garrett’s sacks the last two seasons have come while their teams were playing with a lead of nine points or more, they’ve accounted for 39% of Bonitto’s quarterback takedowns.

“I’d probably have a hard time doing $30 (million) for him right now,” Corry said. “I could go under (Jacksonville’s Josh) Hines-Allen’s $28.3 million, but over $25 million … I could be amenable to that. Maybe throw in some incentives for outstanding performance that get you where you want to go.

“It depends on how badly they want to sign him. Are they like, ‘We need to have this guy.'”

If there’s hope for a deal getting done soon, it’s in the fact that PS2 and Bonitto have the same agent. Everybody’s done this dance before.

Which is good, because remember that open market? It’s not waiting around. The Chiefs recently handed defensive end George Karlaftis a four-year extension worth $23.3 million per year. He’s closer to Allen than he is, say, Bonitto, but we’re continuing to inch toward that $30 million number Corry underlined.

“Who’s a better investment?” I wondered. “Bonitto or Karlaftis?”

Corry laughed again.

“Well, Karlaftis hasn’t been to a Pro Bowl. Karlaftis hasn’t been named to an All-Pro team by anybody,” he said. “One guy was among the top 10 in sacks, and one guy wasn’t. Garbage time or not.”

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Keeler: The Chiefs can be had. You know it. I know it. Most importantly, Payton knows it. This thing has just scratched the surface. The best part about nailing QB1 with Bo Nix, and nailing that position with a rookie, is that it opens up time, money (for now) and sweat you can pour into everything else. You’ve got the best offensive line in the AFC. On paper, you should have the best defense. Coach and QB are singing from the same hymnal. If this team hosts a playoff game in January, that’s progress.

Renck: The Broncos exceeded external expectations with 10 wins in 2024. That is the floor. The ceiling remains unsettling. The Broncos are better and could finish with nine or 10 victories again because of the Kansas City Chiefs, who have posted nine straight AFC West titles, and surging Chargers. But the Broncos are not looking to qualify for the playoffs. It’s about doing damage when they get there. That is why they were so intentional with their roster upgrades. This team was built to win the West — especially with its edge rushers and secondary. Failing to reach this goal would not prevent a playoff run, but it would be a letdown since we are all exhausted by the Chiefs.

Keeler: I’m with ya, but here’s the thing: The rest of the neighborhood hasn’t exactly gotten easier to navigate. The Raiders got Broncos Country’s draft man crush in Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and are trying to become Seahawks South by reuniting Geno Smith and Pete Carroll. Don’t know if that plan will work, but it’s a plan, which is more than you can usually say for Mark Davis. The Chargers drafted Omarion Hampton, our other man crush. Much as we want the Bolts to take the hint and go away, they’re going to be feisty until Jim Harbaugh whips out the flamethrower and starts burning bridges again.

Renck: Payton is obsessed with winning another title. He knows the Chiefs, despite a slightly improved offensive line, are vulnerable. Broncos players recognize they have entered their window as legitimate contenders. They don’t have to win their first AFC West crown since 2015 to look back fondly at this season. They have to win a playoff game. Full stop. They are not as young as 2024, but they still have peach fuzz. And their hunger has not been quenched. If anything, the embarrassment in Buffalo has left them starving to reach the next step: advancing to the NFL’s elite eight.

Keeler: Let’s lower that bar a tad. Why? Precedent. The three longest non-active (hello, Jets) AFC postseason droughts this century were snapped by the Bengals (14 seasons, 2005), Bills (17 seasons, 2017) and Browns (17 seasons, 2020), respectively. None of those teams made the playoffs the year after they’d snapped their streaks. The schedule says 11 wins. History says eight. If the Broncos split the difference and make the postseason with nine or 10 victories, even if it’s not a huge step forward, it’s still a step in the right direction.

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