4 Broncos Decision Points That Reestablished a Winning Culture

It's official; the Denver Broncos are a winning team again, and there were four crucial decision points that paved the way.

Denver Broncos vs Detroit Lions Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks to line judge Carl Johnson during the second half of an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, December 16, 2023. / Jorge Lemus / IMAGO / NurPhoto

The Denver Broncos have achieved a winning season for the first time since 2016 and are knocking on the playoff door. From 2017 through 2023, the Broncos knew nothing but losing.

To get to where they are today, especially with a young team and a massive dead salary cap hit, the Broncos had to first create a winning culture. In 2024, that winning culture is evident as the Broncos have passed test after test.

The Broncos turned around the season from an 0-2 to start, they ended the Las Vegas Raiders losing streak (sweeping them in 2024), bounced back from an embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Ravens, nearly defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead in a heart-breaker, and have been victorious in 'must-win' games as they close out the season.

Turning around a consistently losing culture is not an easy undertaking and it doesn’t happen overnight. Four important moves accelerated the process. Let's break them down.

Invested Ownership

Aug 13, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos CEO Greg Penner and wife Carrie Walton Penner before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Good leadership from the top is highly important in righting the ship. The Broncos franchise was in limbo for some time due to the trust that was set up after late owner Pat Bowlen stepped down. The Pat Bowlen Trust rust was not optimal in driving a winning culture. 

Once the new ownership team was established when the Walton-Penners bought the team, they immediately went about investing in the club. The key was investing in the franchise without meddling with the actual running of the football operations.

The Walton-Penners invested in upgrades to the field at Mile High and the Dove Valley facilities to make it a state-of-the-art place to play and practice. That's meaningful when going after prized free agents. The Walton-Penners were not shy about paying the big bucks for those free agents, either.

The most important decision was finding a winning head coach. The new ownership did what was necessary to get a former Super Bowl winner in Sean Payton. It was a massive investment in draft capital, but it's paying off.

Competent Coaching

Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton during the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, and Nathaniel Hackett were not competent head coaches in their time with the Broncos. They all contributed to the losing culture and that had to change.

The new ownership group paid dearly for a coach who had a proven record of success. Payton began changing the culture on day one. 

The Broncos were awful on special teams and were consistent in having many players end the season on injured reserve. Payton hired proven special teams coaches and that unit is now one of the best in the league.

Payton also hired V.P. of Player Health and Performance Beau Lowery to quell the injuries, and this season, the Broncos only have three players on injured reserve. Payton brought in many of his former players and assistants to help transition to his system. He has made deliberate moves to get this team to perform to expectations.

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The Purge

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) speaks to Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons (31) after a play during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Maybe the hardest step to complete was the purging of players who only knew losing during their time in the Mile High City. Players who had spent most or all of their time on the team during the losing streak.

It's difficult because some of the players were All-Pro and fan-favorites like safety Justin Simmons or early first-round picks like wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Moving on from good players that the team has invested high draft capital is tough to do but it had to be done.

Currently, the Broncos only have three players on the roster who were not brought in by GM George Paton and/or Payton. The roster has players who have either experienced winning or a championship victory, such as fullback Micheal Burton, or young players who know nothing about the losing streak. 

In fact, the early predictions of failure in 2024 were largely based on the Broncos having an inexperienced roster. However, the young players have stepped up and won games that the old guard from the past likely would have lost. This purge had to happen to break the mentality of losing.

A QB Fit

Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops to pass in the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

NFL teams are always searching for that franchise quarterback to take their team to the Promised Land. It's not an easy task, as the history of the game is littered with first-round busts at the position.

The Broncos attempted to trade for that player by giving up a significant amount of draft capital and salary cap when they acquired Russell Wilson. The issue was he didn’t fit correctly. The offense that Hackett put together did not work for Wilson, and Payton’s offense was of the square-peg/round-hole variety. 

The Broncos drafted a quarterback they suspected would fit nicely in the Payton offense. So far, that gamble has paid off as Bo Nix is a perfect fit and has played well enough to be in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation. It was the final piece needed to get the team past the losing era.

Bottom Line

Building a consistent winner in the NFL takes the correct approach. So far, it appears that the Broncos are on their way, with a young team with budding stars, and will soon be free of the massive dead cap hit from Wilson's contract.

That will lead to the Broncos having the ability to bring in coveted free agents to add more star power to the young roster and build the depth they lack in 2024. The present and future look bright for the Broncos because they took the correct steps to forge a winning culture. 

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