The Lead
With a four-game winning streak and a move up to second place in the AFC West, the Broncos have plenty to celebrate and be thankful for this Thanksgiving. While Denver is not one of the six teams playing on Thanksgiving Day this season, its players are excited for the chance to spend time with family and eat plenty of food after the day's practice.
Broncos players shared a wide variety of answers about their favorite Thanksgiving food, but mac and cheese was a common answer.
"Mac and cheese, for sure," center Lloyd Cushenberry III said for his optimal Thanksgiving dish. "… [The amount I eat] might be closer to pounds [than ounces], man. It's a lot. I'm looking forward to it."
Cornerback Pat Surtain II shared Cushenberry's enthusiasm for mac and cheese and had a lengthy list of his other favorite Thanksgiving foods. After containing opposing receivers all season, Surtain expressed his doubts that his Thanksgiving dinner plate will be able to contain all of his food choices this holiday season.
"I've got to have yams, mac and cheese, ham," Surtain said. "I'm not a big turkey fan, but I guess you've got to put a turkey on there, too. I've got collard greens. … My plate is going to be overflowing for sure."
Quarterback Russell Wilson said great food was important to him, but he emphasized family time and the mentality of gratitude as his favorite parts of the holiday.
"The best thing is family time, just being thankful," Wilson said. "Every day I get to wake up, I get to come to this building, [I] just [feel] gratitude."
One of his new offensive teammates, right tackle Mike McGlinchey, also said family time will be the highlight of his first Thanksgiving with the Broncos.
Still, McGlinchey added that when the family makes great food, it's a major advantage.
"As long as everybody's around the table, I'm good with it, but I think my favorite dish is probably stuffing," McGlinchey said. "I got really lucky — my wife is a five-star cook. And so that was a nice little perk of the relationship, for sure. I found that out pretty quickly, in like month three or four. … That's the way to a big man's heart, no doubt."
