Expectations around the NFL may still be modest, but inside the Denver Broncos facilities, belief is strong. After ending an eight-year playoff drought — the franchise’s longest since the AFL/NFL merger — Denver enters Year 3 under Sean Payton with renewed purpose and a rising young quarterback in Bo Nix. The vibe feels different, and players are buying in.
“You can kind of feel throughout the locker room that everyone is hungry, especially the guys who were here and played in Buffalo last year and got a taste of the playoffs,” wide receiver Marvin Mims said, via SiriusXM NFL. “They know what it’s like, know what it takes to get there.”
This offseason, the Broncos reloaded with impact veterans — safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, tight end Evan Engram and special teams standout Trent Sherfield — while also adding a promising rookie class led by cornerback Jahdae Barron and running back R.J. Harvey.
“You can really feel that the times are changing for us,” Mims said. “People always like to say a ‘win now’ mode. With the way things went last year, we were projected to be last in the league last year and end up making the wild card. Guys that were here last year, they believe. The guys that are coming in, they want to make an impact too. I think everyone’s hungry.”
The Broncos finished top 10 in both scoring offense (25.0 PPG) and scoring defense (18.3 PPG) last season — a feat not achieved since Peyton Manning’s debut Denver season in 2012. The Broncos finished no better than 19th in the NFL in scoring offense during that playoff drought.
Nix delivered arguably the best rookie season by a quarterback in franchise history, sparking last season’s offensive surge. The former Oregon and Auburn standout threw 29 touchdown passes — second-most by a rookie in NFL history — and led the Broncos to 10 wins and their first playoff berth since 2015.
“I feel like we’re really poised and were really level-headed this year and that we’re going to make something happen this year as long as we keep going on each other and just strive to get there,” Mims said.