ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Six consecutive days of practice are complete, and Denver is continuing to build momentum ahead of the 2024 season.
While getting back into the rhythm of playing the game and improving technique has been a key focus of camp, developing mental toughness has also been high on the priority list for Head Coach Sean Payton.
And as the roster continues to take shape ahead of the 2024 season, Payton noted that this mental strength is something he will take into consideration when determining the "right 53" for the active roster.
"We want a mentally and physically tough team," Payton said Saturday. "You can talk about that, but there's an element of getting there."
Training camp, Payton believes, is an ideal setting for players to develop this mental strength and for coaching staff to evaluate it. As Denver is coming off its longest planned stretch of consecutive training camp practices, Payton was "pleased with the focus" and with how the team handled the various demands of the week. He noted, though, that there is still plenty more work to come.
"We're still in that stage of camp where there's no light at the end of the tunnel," Payton said. "It's pitch black. That's just the truth. We're early in camp."
Though challenging, Payton believes the training camp work is no different than the physical and mental demands the team will face during the season, and he is confident that putting the work in now will pay off in the long run.
"Our game is [tough]," he said. "I think we're training not just the physical tools and technique, but we're training the mental toughness, the grind and what's necessary to be successful."
This mindset resonates with several of Denver's players, many of whom have seen the success that Payton has had when employing this coaching philosophy in the past.
"When you talk to guys around the league, our schedule is probably the most, if you want to say, brutal, with how many days in a row we go and how hard we practice," tight end Adam Trautman said. "It's a great thing."
Payton noted that mental focus was a point of emphasis heading into Saturday's practice, and as the team was challenged with several game-like scenarios, all three defensive units made key stops against the offense.
Cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian believes that some of this success can be attributed to the mindset of Denver's defense, noting that the tough players on that side of the ball are those that are "mentally strong."
"Training camp is a grind," McMillian said. "We're all tired. [We] just push through [and] just keep trying to get better. [We want to keep] competing at a high level, still keeping your discipline — your eye disciple and technique — [and] just grinding. That's how I look at it. [We're] just trying to play as fast as possible and playing the same way as if you were rested. We're in day [eight] right now, so [we're] just trying to grind out and play the same way."
Denver now looks forward to another week of hard work before the team's first preseason game next weekend. And as training camp progresses, developing this mental toughness will continue to play a key role in the Broncos' preparation.
"We talk about the mental focus that it takes to come out here every single day [as well as] the mental toughness,and that's really what we develop out here," Trautman said. "Going day in and day out, we callus ourselves, which is what we like to say. I think it's beneficial."
