Sean Payton made it clear: the Denver Broncos are no longer building from scratch. Entering his third season in charge, the head coach believes this group is “further along than what it was two years ago,” and that the time has come to chase real postseason goals.
The pursuit begins Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High when the Broncos host the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 regular-season opener. Kickoff is set for 2:25 p.m.
Team Leadership Takes Shape
On Tuesday, Payton announced the Broncos’ eight captains: quarterback Bo Nix, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, guard Quinn Meinerz, defensive tackle D.J. Jones, cornerback Pat Surtain II, safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Alex Singleton and kicker Wil Lutz.
For veterans like Sutton, it’s a continuation of their leadership role. For others — Jones and Hufanga — it’s a first-time honor. Payton emphasized that while the “C” carries weight, leadership is expected across the roster.
“Leadership can evolve,” Payton said. “You don’t have to be a captain to be one of our outstanding leaders.”
Nix’s Growth into Year 2
Nix, entering his second NFL season, steps into Year 2 with more command of the huddle and the respect of his peers. The quarterback, voted a captain for the second time in as many seasons, credited the Broncos’ continuity on the offensive line for his comfort level heading into the opener.
“It’s great for communication, it’s great for production,” Nix said. “They’ve played together for multiple years. Communication is going to be really high.”
Nix also acknowledged the responsibility of being a young leader. “It’s an honor, and it’s something that I will never take for granted,” he said. “It means a lot that teammates respect me and want to put me in that position.”
Handling the Titans
The Titans arrive with a physical defensive identity and a knack for third-down stops. Payton pointed out that in Tennessee’s three wins last season, they held opponents to under 30 percent conversions on third down — a number Denver knows it must improve against.
“They were outstanding defensively on third down,” Payton said. “That element, that third-down defense in the red zone, is awfully important.”
Sunday also marks the first career start for Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward. The Broncos defense, led by All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II and linebacker Singleton, will look to make the most of a loud Mile High atmosphere.
“It can be tough for a rookie to go on the road for the first time,” Nix said. “Fortunately for me, I’m at home this week.”
High Standards, Higher Expectations
The Broncos’ veteran captains spoke about the team’s focus on improving its starts, avoiding early deficits that plagued them last season.
“It’s all about having a faster start,” Surtain said. “In this league it’s hard to play catchup sometimes and we realized that last year.”
Sutton, a captain for the fifth straight season, said the group is fueled by a locker room that “hates losing more than it likes winning.”
Mile High Anticipation
If Payton’s message has been clear, so has the response from Denver’s fan base. Nix hopes to see Mile High at full volume on Sunday.
“I hope it’s a really good home field advantage,” Nix said. “I hope the crowd is in it the whole game, no matter what situation it is. I hope they’re standing, going crazy and making it a great home environment.”
For Payton, the 2025 opener isn’t just the start of another season, but a chance to write the next chapter in Denver’s storied franchise.
“There are 32 teams in this league that have a book,” he said. “Some of those books, quite honestly, there’s not a lot of reading in it. I consider Denver’s to be one of those three or four that have a lot of good chapters. The excitement is in 2025, this team, this organization, ownership, fans have a chance to add another chapter.”
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