The Denver Broncos are still in a great spot here as the 2024 NFL regular season closes out, and there are many reasons to still be optimistic. I was very guilt of thinking the sky was falling after the team blew and 11-point lead against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, but in the couple days following the game, one loss doesn't really change much.
Denver has put the league on notice in 2024; they have reset with a rookie QB and have gotten immediate production from him. They have also seen their defense turn into one of the sturdier units in football this year. Heck, there are many, many reasons to still be optimistic about this team. Here are five reasons why.
5 reasons to still be optimistic about the 2024 Denver Broncos
Bo Nix looks very good for the present and future
Let's not act like Bo Nix hasn't been very good this year. It's important to remember that this kid is a rookie. He's played 15 games in the NFL and is throwing to a group of below-average playmakers. This Broncos offense is far from complete; the team does not have a true WR1, RB1, or TE1 on the roster, and another strong offseason of player acquistion could yield great dividends for Nix, who could total over 30 touchdowns in his rookie campaign.
Broncos young players have stepped up this year
Denver has had so many young players step up this year; Bo Nix, Marvin Mims Jr, Audric Estime, Troy Franklin, Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMIllian, Brandon Jones, and Patrick Surtain II are all young players who have showed sone form of notable promise this year. This team is among the youngest in the NFL, and my gosh, how about this 2024 rookie class?
Nix, Estime, Jonah Elliss, Devaughn Vele, Franklin, and Kris Abrams-Draine could be a legitimate foundational, generational class for this team.
Team still has very good shot to make the playoffs
It's not like Denver got knocked out of the playoff race. They still have a very good shot at getting in, and it would take some insane luck for teams like the Bengals, Dolphins, and Colts to pass Denver in the AFC standings. The Broncos have to win just one more game or hope that the Bengals, Dolphins, and Colts all lose at least one more contest.
It is still very likely that we have playoff football this year for the Broncos.
Sean Payton isn't going anywhere
The one thing that harms certain teams with young QBs is that the offensive coordinator often gets poached to be a head coach on another team. Well, the Broncos main offensive mind is Sean Payton, who hand-picked Bo Nix and is the team's play-caller. Sean Payton is building something special and is not going anywhere. He already has a ton invested into this team and is nearly done with this rebuild.
We could be looking at a decade-plus of high-end success for the Denver Broncos.
The AFC is a weaker conference than we thought
I am not sure we thought teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cleveland Browns would be as bad as they have been. Other squads like the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans have not seen their second-year QBs take a leap.
And then you have teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, and New England Patriots who still need a ton to go their way to even sniff contention once again in the NFL. The Denver Broncos are one of the most well-positioned teams in the AFC, and they are much closer to competing with the big boys than being cellar-dwellers.