The Denver Broncos improved to an 8-win team in Sean Payton's first year at the helm, and with $90 million in dead cap and one of the youngest rosters in the league, they improved to a 10-win team in year two. Payton's vision for the team is blossoming before our eyes and we're seeing the Broncos reestablish themselves (hopefully) as a viable contender in the AFC.
Yes, the Broncos were bounced quickly out of the playoffs by the Buffalo Bills to the tune of 31-7, but a missed field goal would have tied the game at 10 apiece going into halftime and who knows how different things would have turned out? Even if it would have been 31-10 instead of 31-7, you really wish Wil Lutz could have that one back...
The Bills plowed through the Broncos but Sean Payton said after the game that they felt good about going to Kansas City the next week if they could somehow find a way to beat the Bills. It's neither here nor there, but the confidence of Payton in this team -- before even making any changes at all -- is extremely noteworthy.
In a recent interview with Kay Adams on the Up And Adams Show, Payton made a bold and unprompted prediction about this Denver Broncos team, saying, "We're gonna be a problem."
Sean Payton: Broncos are going to be a "problem" in 2025
Broncos HC Sean Payton on his team NEEDS this offseason 🤔👇@heykayadams @SeanPayton @Broncos | #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/mZlmjyxLFP
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 5, 2025
The confidence Payton has in this team going forward starts with quarterback Bo Nix. The trajectory Nix is on right now will have the Broncos in contention sooner rather than later, if it hasn't already happened. The perception around the league of Nix is vastly different than the perception among the fan base and certainly pundits in the NFL media world.
People in the media are still splitting hairs over Nix's missed throws 15 yards past the line of scrimmage, or whether or not he's truly a "checkdown merchant". They are absolutely ridiculous discussions that completely ignore the entirety of Nix's rookie year and the progression he showed in mastering Sean Payton's offense, as well as his understanding of how to beat the variety of defenses he played against last season.
So the confidence begins with Nix, but it extends to a variety of other areas of this roster that have gone overlooked by the masses for really no good reason. The Broncos have the likely Defensive Player of the Year in Pat Surtain II at the cornerback position. They led the NFL in sacks. They no longer are missing one-third of their salary cap space. They have core players locked in on both sides of the ball. They have a wide variety of young players who are developing into studs.
And Payton undoubtedly is confident in his offseason plan. What does that entail? Well, we know he wants a "Joker" for the offense more than anything else. That is his "must have" this year. Beyond that, Payton acknowledged needs at wide receiver, inside linebacker, and safety.
If he's already stating that this team is going to be a "problem", then it likely means that a big offseason is coming up and Payton has already read the script.