Following the arrival of rookies last week, Denver Broncos veterans reported to the team’s facility on Tuesday ahead of the start of training camp.
With everyone now in the building, the team will hold an acclimation period with light sessions on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the first official day of practice (with fans in attendance) on Friday. Denver cornerback Pat Surtain and right tackle Mike McGlinchey were made available to media members on Tuesday ahead of the two-day acclimation period.
“You want to set expectations pretty high,” Surtain said of expectations for the team going into camp. “You can’t allow yourself to waiver from the fact that we have a lot of goals to accomplish as a team. We’re just going to take it day-by-day in training camp, and just keep on sharpening iron, sharpening our toolbox, and keep on getting better out here on the gridiron.”
After going 10-7 and reaching the playoffs last year, the Broncos made several key additions this offseason, and the club is now expected to take another step forward in 2025.
“We have such a great team going into this year,” Surtain said. “I’m looking forward to getting out there with the guys. There are a lot of new additions [and] a lot of new pieces that fit in our system, so it should be great.”
With camp now right around the corner, here are five quick takeaways after Surtain and McGlinchey spoke to reporters on Tuesday.
1. No known holdouts for Broncos
Broncos defensive linemen Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach, as well as pass rusher Nik Bonitto and wide receiver Courtland Sutton, are among the team’s players scheduled to become free agents in 2026. All of them undoubtedly want extensions sooner rather than later, but it appears that none of them will be a camp holdout.
Allen, JFM, Bonttio and Sutton were all spotted on Tuesday, presumably a sign that none of them are holdout threats. It’s unclear if Denver will attempt to re-sign each of them, but it seems like a good sign that ongoing negotiations haven’t led to any public airing of grievances, something that’s not uncommon in today’s NFL. As negotiations happen behind closed doors, no news is good news this time of year.
2. Thanks for the reinforcements, San Francisco
The Broncos have seemingly started a collection of 49ers castoffs. Last year, McGlinchey and defensive tackle D.J. Jones were key parts of Denver’s playoff push. This offseason, the Broncos added linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga to the mix.
“I mean, obviously their play speaks for themselves,” McGlinchey said of the latest San Fran transplants. “I think ‘Huf’ and Dre are two of the best at their positions across the league, and they’re monstrous additions for us defensively. The two of them bring such an energy, especially [because] the defensive side of the football is a very emotional, energetic kind of style of play.
“You can feel Dre Greenlaw when he steps onto the field. You can feel ‘Huf’ when he makes plays in the box or takes a chance on a great interception. Those two are going to help us tremendously this year, and I’m happy to be back on the same side as them.”
3. Pat Surtain reacts to viral video
Earlier this month, a video went viral showing Ja’Marr Chase and other star wide receivers discussing how to try to beat Surtain’s coverage at Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s wide receiver camp in Miami. Yes, PS2 has seen the video.
“I think there’s a lot of respect that goes into it,” Surtain said. “I think the highest honor, highest respect you can get is from your peers. So hearing that is pretty cool to see — telling ‘Ocho’ it’s not that easy. They know us best. It’s major respect, so respect to them guys as well. You know in football, you go up against the best of the best each and every week, so to get respect from your peers like that means a lot.”
4. Improvement on the way for Broncos’ rushing attack
Last year, Denver’s offense struggled to establish much of a ground game, despite having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. This year, all five of the Broncos’ starting offensive linemen — and their backups — have returned, and the team added two notable running backs in J.K. Dobbins and rookie RJ Harvey.
“I think we played well, but at the same time, there’s a ton of room to grow, and we all know that,” McGlinchey said of the offensive line. “I think it’s the first time in my career — and I am sure a lot of the other linemen can speak to the same — that we really didn’t touch anything. The whole two deep is back. You have a couple of rookies coming in to push us a little bit forward, and that’s a pretty cool thing. I think that says a lot to what our group has accomplished so far.
“Certainly, having RJ and J.K. and the rest of the running back room is going to really be helpful for us. I think we have a long way to go in terms of improving that area of our offense, and we’re excited for that opportunity because we know if we can accomplish that, we’re going to have a lot of success this year.”
Denver had a middle-of-the-pack rushing attack last season, ranking 16th with 112.2 yards per game on the ground. Expect that number to take a big jump this fall.
5. It’s time for Bo Nix to take the next step
After impressing as a rookie last year, Nix is now entering his second season in Sean Payton’s offense, and fans hope to see him take another leap in his development.
“Certainly, the experience of playing football games in this league is very, very valuable,” McGlinchey said. “Now he knows what it feels like. He knows what it looks like. He knows, obviously, that he is very good at it, and I think that just gives him the hunger for more.
“I think that’s what’s really impressive about Bo is his competitive nature of just trying to get the most out of himself every single day. That ability to stack those days is why he improved so vastly and so fast as the season went on last year. I only expect the same things from him this year.”
Surtain echoed that sentiment.
“Bo, he’s even more confident going into this year,” the cornerback said. “Obviously, with Year 1 under his belt, a lot more confidence rises upon that. The team, we have Bo’s back through the whole way through. He’s a tremendous leader out there, and a tremendous player. This year he’s going to make a lot of noise, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does and his success moving forward.”
Denver will have 13 training camp practices “open” to fans this summer, but capacity is limited due to construction at the facility, so free tickets are required to attend (details here). The Broncos are officially back, and fans will see them out on the field soon.
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