For the first time since winning Super Bowl 50, the Denver Broncos were back in the playoffs this past season! Yes, they were essentially cannon fodder as the No. 7 seed in the AFC vs. Josh Allen's No. 2-seeded Buffalo Bills, but that is not the point. Denver ended its worst skid in franchise history with a little taste of the postseason. Their star cornerback Patrick Surtain likes it, and he wants some more of it.
When speaking with Mike Klis of 9NEWS, Surtain did not beat around the bush at all. He believes the best way the Broncos can back up their first playoff appearance in a decade is by winning the AFC outright and getting to the Super Bowl. Baby steps, folks. Denver is certainly trending up, but the Broncos play in the same AFC West division as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Let's make one thing clear: The first person to believe in you have to be yourself, and Surtain has this.
“What can I do for an encore? Shoot, I think a Super Bowl would be an encore.’’
He touched on the free-agency acquisition of safety Talanoa Hufanga and what he means for the defense.
“He’s definitely going to be an anchor for our defense. Just with his experience — obviously he’s got All Pro, Pro Bowls, him being a ball hawk, looking over the defense — I think that’s going to be a huge addition. He’s a great player, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Surtain also addressed the other big Broncos pickup in NFL free agency, linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
“When you look at his tape, he’s very tenacious. He brings that edge with him that you look for in a linebacker. And he’s a tremendous leader as well. I know he helped that San Francisco 49ers team to that Super Bowl run [in 2023], and I can’t wait to work with him. I know he’s going to bring an intensity to the defense that we definitely need. Or added. We already had intensity for sure. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Which is all well and good. But besides adding often-injured former San Francisco 49ers, what else must Denver do this offseason to make Surtain's wish come true?
What the Denver Broncos have to do to get to the Super Bowl this season
In my estimation, the Broncos are an extreme dark horse to come out of the AFC this year. That being said, I still like their chances more than at least half the conference, possibly upwards of 10 or 12 teams. Denver needs to do three things to make this pipe dream a reality: They must get Bo Nix more weapons on offense, they must win the AFC West, and they most play complementary football.
With the No. 20 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Denver needs to get Nix either a running back, tight end or wide receiver, no questions asked. This could be someone like Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina, Tyler Warren out of Penn State or Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State. Those are all household names coming up from the college game and could be plug-and-play pieces for Denver.
As far as winning the Super Bowl is concerned, Denver cannot afford to be road warriors come playoff time. This is why catching the Chiefs potentially on the downtick is so important. It may not happen, but winning as many division games as possible is the best way to ensure Broncos Country gets a home game at Mile High as opposed to have to play in next year's Arrowhead Invitational.
And finally, playing complementary football goes hand in hand with what Surtain is hoping to accomplish. Ideally, the Broncos are getting what the 49ers once had with Greenlaw and Hufanga firing on all cylinders, but none of that is going to matter if Denver stagnates on offense. Fortunately, Sean Payton is a savvy offensive-minded head coach who can scheme things up for Nix just a bit.
Ultimately, I think we do have to put the Broncos in that second tier of would-be Super Bowl contenders out of the AFC. I would argue that Buffalo, Kansas City, the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals are in the upper crust, but Denver has to be right there with Los Angeles and the Houston Texans in that next tier. It is all about getting one percent better every single day for them.
I may not think Denver is ready to win the AFC West right now, but I would have them in the playoffs.