ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Broncos cleared out their lockers on Monday and reflected on the 2024 season, it came with the acknowledgement that there is a new set of expectations for a team that defied everyone else's this season.
And that's what the Broncos plan to carry with them into the offseason.
"It stinks we didn't accomplish everything we wanted to accomplish," tackle Mike McGlinchey said Monday. "We wanted to make a run there. It's a tough day in the NFL. ... But fortunately, I think we're headed in the right direction, and there's going to be a lot of guys here that are going to be part of it."
The 2024 season was filled with many significant milestones for the Broncos, as the team reached 10 wins for the first time since 2015 and ended an eight-season playoff drought by clinching the No. 7 seed in the AFC. Still, though, the Broncos had their sights set on bigger goals and put themselves in a position to go chase those.
And although the team fell short, Denver now looks ahead to a promising future, and guard Quinn Meinerz believes the team has laid the proper foundation to reach new levels of success.
"I think we created a new floor of new standards for this building, for the position groups and for this team moving forward," guard Quinn Meinerz said Monday. "We're looking to build off of what we did this year, and that is by setting the standard again of what we got to this year. Getting into OTAs [and] training camp, that's what we need to build off of and we need to start from there."
Head Coach Sean Payton also spoke about the importance of aiming higher on Sunday, noting the significance of having the opportunity to host playoff games in the future. For several players, including captain Alex Singleton, this is the next milestone for the Broncos — and one he believes the team is more than capable of reaching.
"It has to be that," Singleton said of aiming to claim the division title. "I think to just settle for anything less than that is kind of, 'Why are you here?' We're all here every single day, working the way we are not just to make the playoffs or just to have a successful career, it's to win championships. And so, if your mindset isn't to host divisional round and AFC championships, there's, to me, no point. It kind of fires me up, because that's what you want. Having a home crowd in a playoff game, it's special, it means a lot. Your city gets behind you. Being in Buffalo yesterday, you saw how much it mattered to those fans. And being in Denver, I know how much it would matter to the fans here."
A huge piece of reaching that next level of success could be the foundation of several core players — including cornerback Pat Surtain II — who have played a key role in Denver's recent success.
"It builds chemistry, it builds camaraderie and it also builds a standard," Surtain said of key players returning next season. "Knowing the standard that we set this year, and having those guys come back and set that standard for the next year and years ahead, that'd be huge."
Surtain noted that defensively, Denver "set a standard" and "went out there and proved it each and every week" as the unit surpassed all expectations and consistently played at a high level. The team finished the regular season with a league-leading 63 sacks and allowed the second-fewest yards per play, gaining a reputation as one of the league's top units. And as the unit and team now look ahead to continuing this production in the future, Surtain believes this year's performance was only the beginning.
"We're there, it's just about finishing," Surtain said. "Good teams find a way to finish at the end of the day, and that's where we need to get to. We've got the talent, we've got the right pieces. The next thing we need to home in on is finishing big-time games and knowing how to win."
For the longest-tenured Bronco, tackle Garett Bolles, that on-field success begins with the establishment of a strong team culture in the locker room. And for the first time in his eight-year career, Bolles believes Denver has found that.
"I think everything that we have in this locker room, the core value of our team, is here," Bolles said. " ... I think that's what's so important about this team.
"I think we have a culture now, I can legitimately say that. It's special, and I think we're just that much closer to where we want to be. I think it's just a [matter] of time until we break through the ice. … I'm excited to see where it goes, for sure."
As the Broncos look forward to getting back to work this offseason, the significance of this season and the milestones that were reached is not lost on them. However, the goals for the future are bigger than ever before.
"It's really special, especially doing it at a franchise like this," defensive lineman Zach Allen said of this year's achievements. "It's one of the most successful franchises, so to bring them back to the playoffs is something that you'll be able to say for a long time. But, our goals are still to go to the Super Bowl, so we've just got to keep on working to bring that back to Denver."
