It ended far better than anyone anticipated, but it was how every Broncos fan wanted - inclusion in the postseason NFL playoffs. Rebounding from the biggest debacle in trade history, with an $85 million dead cap hit and loss of draft picks from the Russell Wilson acquisition, returning to a winning season appeared unachievable, especially with a rookie quarterback. But the fifth quarterback chosen in the 2024 Draft, Bo Nix, turned out to be the best if not second-best, rookie quarterback chosen of the top five. The No. 2 pick, Jayden Daniels, is playing in the NFC Championship Game this weekend. Nix and Daniels are nominees for the AFC Rookie of the Year award, which will be announced on February 8.

Nix led all rookie quarterbacks in completions, passing yards, touchdown passes, and total touchdowns, and he ranked second in passer rating. His 29 touchdown passes were the second most by a rookie in league history. At the beginning of the season, Nix was named the starter by Head Coach Sean Payton, so Nix led the Broncos to their first 10-win season and first playoff appearance since 2015. Nix is the only rookie quarterback in NFL history with multiple games with at least 300 passing yards, four touchdown passes, and a passer rating of at least 140, and he is just the fourth rookie signal caller to earn Player of the Week honors multiple times.

While Nix garnered a lot of attention, the Broncos’ defense was high on the list, which led the NFL to sacks with 63 in the season. Cornerback Pat Surtain II was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America. The Broncos’ lockdown cornerback is the franchise’s first player to earn the PFWA honor since the award’s inception in 1992. Surtain matched a career-high in interceptions and posted his fourth consecutive season with double-digit passes defensed.

Joining accolades for the 2024-25 season were Pro Bowl-selected players Marvin Mims, Jr. on Special Teams, Pat Surtain II at cornerback, and linebacker Nik Bonitto. Several players were also named Pro Bowl alternates, including lineman Quinn Meinerz, long snapper Mitch Fraboni, tackle Garrett Bolles, quarterback Bo Nix, kicker Wil Lutz, fullback Mike Burton, defensive lineman Zach Allen, and safety Brandon Jones.

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, guard Quinn Meinerz, punt returner Marvin Mims Jr., and cornerback Pat Surtain II were named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-NFL team. All four players were also named to the organization’s All-AFC team. The Broncos had the most selections of any franchise to the All-NFL team and tied with the Ravens for the most selections on the All-AFC team. Overall, the Broncos finished the season at 11-6, third place in the AFC West, and were the seventh seed in the AFC qualifying for a Wildcard appearance, three from the AFC West.

The Broncos organization, from the ownership team to management and the players, all weighed in on the 2024-25 experience and what to look forward to from here. The next steps include free agency and the NFL Draft. Here are some of the parting words from the Broncos:

Pat Surtain II, Cornerback - “We’re there, it’s just about finishing.  Good teams find a way to finish at the end of the day, and that’s where we need to get to. We’ve got the talent, we’ve got the right pieces. The next thing we need to home in on is finishing big-time games and knowing how to win.”

Mike McGlinchey, Right Tackle - On making the playoffs - “It stinks we didn’t accomplish everything we wanted to accomplish. We wanted to make a run there. It’s a tough day in the NFL. ... But fortunately, I think we’re headed in the right direction, and there’s going to be a lot of guys here that are going to be part of it.”

Garrett Bolles, Left Tackle - “I think everything that we have in this locker room, the core value of our team, is here. I think that’s what’s so important about this team. I think we have a culture now, I can legitimately say that. It’s special, and I think we’re just that much closer to where we want to be. I think it’s just a [matter] of time until we break through the ice. … I’m excited to see where it goes, for sure.”

Head Coach Sean Payton - On the playoff game in Buffalo - “I didn’t see a gap last weekend until the second half. Then you see a gap because you’re losing, but I felt really confident we could go in there, and play well and win. We obviously didn’t play well enough. Those lines are much finer than we think. I use that term. There’s a fine line between a groove and a rut. It’s a player, it’s two players, it’s the line of scrimmage, it’s the kicking game. We’re not looking backwards; we’re looking ahead, and it starts with the division.”

George Paton, General Manager - On Bo Nix - “Bo was a pro the minute he walked in the building for rookie minicamp. You saw the poise throughout the season, poise beyond his years. … Just the leadership. He was a captain as a rookie, and that’s tough. Man, the team embraced him. You just look at that — the intangible piece — and then you look at the talent and what he did on the field. A lot of the games looked like they did at Oregon: very accurate, can process, makes quick decisions. He doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way too often. Third [fewest] sacks. We talked about that all through the draft process. You saw the arm. He’s got really good arm talent. I think the thing that you search for through the draft process is he never flinched.”

Owner & CEO Greg Penner - On behalf of ownership, I want to thank the players, coaches, and all the staff for an incredible season. [They put in] a ton of hard work, and [I] couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished this year and getting us back to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. The results of this last Sunday were not what we were hoping for or expecting, but I think the experience that the young team got will be critical for the future. I will say that while we are incredibly pleased with the progress and number of accomplishments this year, we don’t at all feel like we are satisfied with where we are. We know that this offseason will be a critical one for us to build for the future. As we go into this offseason, it’s a different situation again, and we’re going to have a little bit more cap space,” Penner said. “Our needs are different — we have a young nucleus and a great quarterback to build around. We haven’t yet decided what our approach to free agency will be, but if it’s appropriate, we’ll be aggressive. But I’m not sure that we’ll need to do that.”

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