Good morning, Broncos Country.
After a long offseason, the Denver Broncos had their first official day of training camp on Wednesday.
As the Broncos begin the third season under the leadership of Head Coach Sean Payton, the franchise is in the best shape it has been in ages. The foundations of sustained success start in the trenches. In that respect, Denver has it better than most in the National Football League. Every starter and key backup along the offensive and defensive lines are set to come back.
That should benefit them greatly this coming season.
And the quarterback position? Clarity. No competition. No drama. Second-years signal caller Bo Nix is their guy. To avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, their skill positions on offense received an infusion of talent via free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Additionally, a top-notch secondary was made even better with the additions of Talanoa Hufanga and Jahdae Barron.
On the outside looking in, there are very few major concerns on paper for the Broncos. Health and veterans recovering from injury is probably the primary, but all players with the exception of A.T. Perry were participants yesterday. This year’s Broncos team has a lot going for them. But even with the aforementioned, Payton acknowledged the team is still a work in progress.
“You’re playing on a national stage more and there might be more unique travel, but all that’s what we’re wanting. We’re not a finished product by any means. There are a lot of parallels to that building across the way here. We’re still a work in progress. It’s not the national expectations,” stated Paton.
After the short-lived Nathaniel Hackett experience in the Mile High City, the Broncos found themselves in a major predicament. They needed a proven leader to help right a ship that had been floating on the abyss for years. Upon being traded for and hired as the team’s next head coach, Paton discussed the importance of forging a winning culture and identity—something very few players on the roster over the past decade had ever experienced in the NFL.
In just two years, Paton led the Broncos to the playoffs—an impressive feat with a roster hamstrung due to the salary cap ramifications of the failed Russell Wilson endeavor. Alongside General Manager George Paton, the two have masterfully navigated free agency and the NFL Draft to find contributors that have made an impact for them right away. Both are key reasons why the Broncos enter their ‘25 campaign with a profound sense of optimism, but from Payton’s perspective—this is where he expected they’d be by year three.
“There was a belief a year ago by many of us internally that we had a team that could compete certainly for an opportunity in the division and for an opportunity to get into the playoffs. Those standards can’t be just high for the coaches. The whole group needs to see the opportunity and where we can go. When the whole thing started two years ago, this is kind of where we were hoping to be going into year three, and it’s exciting.”
Payton’s right. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a part of Broncos Country. With their additions on offense, Nix and his teammates should have no trouble being more consistent and productive than last season. As for the defense, the sky is the limit with the best pass rush in the league and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year leading their vaunted secondary.
Just how good will the 2025 Denver Broncos be? We’ll just have to wait and see, but I’m finally glad real football is back in action. As always, thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.
Broncos News & Tidbits
Sean Payton on Broncos' contract extension hopefuls: 'All being worked on'
There was zero dissent at Denver Broncos' HQ as Courtland Sutton, Nik Bonitto, John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen all eye extensions.
Mile High Morning: T Mike McGlinchey welcomes ‘monstrous’ additions in former teammates Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw
“I think ‘Huf’ and Dre are two of the best at their positions across the league, and they're monstrous additions for us defensively,” McGlinchey said.
‘You’ve got a role to play’: Denver Broncos Foundation, Colorado Dept. of Law put youth mental health in the spotlight at ‘Teaming Up for Youth’ event
“The more we are partnering and the more we are together on this for the state and the youth of our state, the more effective we’ll be,” Broncos Owner Carrie Walton Penner said.
Jahdae Barron joins Pat Surtain in Broncos secondary
The Denver Gazette examines each Broncos position group before the official start of training camp later this week. Next up: Defensive backs.
NFL News & Tidbits
NFL training camp: Anthony Richardson, Travis Etienne among veterans who could lose starting roles
Will Anthony Richardson lose the Colts' QB1 job to Daniel Jones? As training camps ramp up around the NFL, Eric Edholm spotlights 13 veteran players who could be in danger of losing their starting roles in 2025.
NFL news roundup: Dolphins CB Artie Burns feared to have suffered torn ACL at training camp
NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown.
Browns reveal first-ever brown helmet as part of 'Alpha Dawg' look for 2025 season
The Browns are embracing their nickname in a new way this season. Cleveland introduced a brown alternate helmet on Wednesday as part of a monochrome uniform branded as their "Alpha Dawg" look.
Fantasy football WR rankings 2025: Draft tiers and analysis
The 2025 NFL fantasy football season is nearly upon us. Adam Rank is here to help you prepare for your drafts by revealing his wide receiver rankings and tiers. How high does Malik Nabers rise after a sizzling rookie year? Is Garrett Wilson set to thrive
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