Sean Payton has plenty to like about where the Broncos stand defensively entering 2026, and it starts with something every coach craves: familiarity.
Denver is bringing back 10 of the same 11 starters from last season’s defense, with defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers the lone major departure after signing with the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Beyond that, the Broncos kept the core of a front that piled up more than 60 sacks in 2025 and returned every starter in a secondary that finished seventh in yards allowed and fourth in touchdowns allowed.
That kind of carryover matters, especially for a unit that was already among the NFL’s top-three scoring defenses last season. The Broncos don’t have to rebuild the identity on that side of the ball. They’re trying to build on it.
Payton made clear he’s energized by that reality, even while acknowledging that every season starts over at 0-0.
“It’s amazing," Payton said of the Broncos' defensive continuity. "Realistically, we lost ‘JFM’ [John Franklin-Myers], which is a guy who I will miss a lot, but we did a really good job of being able to keep everybody intact, defensively at least."
"We’re super excited to get this ball rolling. It starts fresh every year, so we are 0-0 right now, and we have to prove it again.”
There’s another layer to Denver’s defensive stability: Vance Joseph is entering his fourth year with the team as defensive coordinator, a stretch that ties him for second-longest among NFL defensive coordinators behind Steve Spagnuolo of the Kansas City Chiefs.
That continuity gives the Broncos more than just comfort. It gives them precision. Payton said his own command of Joseph’s system has grown, which helps him put players in the right spots and move through the offseason with more confidence.
“It’s tremendous. The confidence that I have just to actually make the right calls," Payton continued.
"A lot of the times when I was here for OTAs, it was looking to ‘B-Jones’ [Brandon Jones] and looking to Pat [Surtain II] of like, ‘What are we running right here?’ I was still learning the defense."
"But for me, it’s able to put guys in the right position and Coach Vance [Joseph] puts us out here for a reason. It’s practice. Make mistakes, make new mistakes and come out here and be the person you want to be and learn from it so you can go out there and push the line and take those calculated risks to make a play.”
If Denver’s defense stays anywhere close to its 2025 level and the offense takes a step forward, the Broncos will have a real chance to be a problem for the rest of the league in 2026.
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