The Denver Broncos may not be drawing much optimism in preseason predictions, but they are getting a familiar kind of respect from the last Denver team that reached the mountaintop.
Aqib Talib and Von Miller, both key pieces of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 defense, have watched this year’s group and seen a reflection of what they helped build. According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN, the resemblance stands out to them.
"They're us," said Talib, who is a former Pro Bowl cornerback. "They all love ball, talk to each other, hold each other to it. It's clear as day when you see it."
Miller said much the same earlier this summer. He spent the offseason pushing for a Denver return and even floated the idea that he could one day replace Broncos GM George Paton, though he ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
"Oh yeah, I see it," Miller said earlier this summer. "They do it the way we did it. ... You can tell they keep it straight with each other."
That kind of praise carries weight because the Broncos had to claw their way here. Sean Payton arrived to clean up a mess, and one of his biggest calls was moving on from Russell Wilson and drafting Bo Nix to become the franchise quarterback.
Talib tied that idea back to the deeper stuff that makes a team work.
"Real winning is in what you might not even see until it's right," Talib said. "It's that attitude, that giving and sharing.
You give everything you have, and you don't ever lower that bar on anything, and you hold each other to it every day. And you get guys who can take that accountability.
They have it, we had it."
Payton has leaned on the same kind of language when talking about what wins in the NFL, using words like program, grit and culture, per Legwold. He’s banking on continuity in a league that usually churns fast, and the buy-in has been there, including from Pro Bowl defensive tackle Zach Allen.
"Culture is one of those things, we all talk about it, it's like a go-to word sometimes, but to really have it ... it's rare I think," said Broncos defensive tackle Zach Allen said. "Some places just say they have it and it's really nowhere to be found. ... If you need to be pushed, or reminded to work, or, like be told to get to work, you're not going to be around here."
In Other News...
Broncos Fans Just Got An Early AFC West Opening
The Broncos are heading into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season with a timely opening in the AFC West already taking shape, thanks to the way the Chargers stumbled out of the gate. Los Angeles dropped a significant upset to the Arizona Cardinals, and for Denver, that kind of early division shakeup can matter as much as anything that happens on the field in September. It also adds a little extra intrigue to a Broncos opener against the Chiefs, because the division race can start tightening or tilting before most teams have settled in.
For the Chargers, the loss brings back familiar questions about how quickly a team can adjust after coaching changes and whether recent history will follow them again into another season. The Broncos do not need to solve those problems themselves, but they can certainly benefit if Los Angeles spends the fall digging out of an early hole. In a division where every result tends to echo for months, Denver suddenly has a clearer path to make Week 1 count in a bigger way. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Get A Week 1 Opening Chiefs Fans Will Hate
Opening week already looks a little different for Kansas City, and Denver has reason to take notice. The Chiefs have ruled out starting tackle Josh Simmons and starting safety Chamarri Conner for the Broncos visit, leaving them thinner on both the edge of the offensive line and in the back end of the defense as the season begins.
For a Broncos team that is expected to be healthy, that kind of early shuffle can matter. Kansas City is now likely leaning on a less experienced tackle combination and a secondary built around several newer faces, which could hand Denver some favorable matchups for both the pass rush and the passing game when the division rivals meet. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Week 1 Plan Vs Chiefs Is Starting To Take Shape
The Broncos Week 1 roster picture against the Chiefs is beginning to clarify, and it comes with a little bit of familiar roster juggling. Denver is expected to promote fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for the season opener, a move that fits the way the team managed both players through final cuts and back onto the practice squad.
General manager George Paton has already confirmed the roster-management plan, and Sean Payton has also weighed in on how the team is handling the fullback spot. For Denver, it is a small but telling part of the opener prep, especially with the Chiefs waiting and the Broncos looking to settle on the pieces they want in place before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]