Broncos Resurface After Wilson Disaster: Super Bowl Contenders

Broncos to Honor Their Super Bowl 50 Champion Team

The Denver Broncos are preparing to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their Super Bowl 50 victory this Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. This commemorative event will also serve to honor the memory of Demaryius Thomas, the team’s star wide receiver, who will be formally inducted into the Broncos’ “Ring of Fame”. The celebration coincides with the presence of Russell Wilson, now backup quarterback for the New York Giants, on the visiting side of the field. Wilson was the center of a historic trade in 2022 that involved the departure of three players and five draft picks from the Broncos, resulting in two losing seasons, a coaching change, and an $85 million dead money charge against the salary cap. However, 19 months after the decision to part ways with Wilson, the Broncos, with a 4-2 record, have positioned themselves as true contenders. Optimism is palpable, and coach Sean Payton has expressed his confidence in the team’s Super Bowl chances, backed by a young and talented roster and ownership with significant financial resources.

Sometimes I feel like everything has gone by quickly and other times I feel like everything from my rookie year (2017) until now seems like a long time ago. All I know is that this team has a lot of dogs, the kind of team you want to be a part of… I love these guys, I love where we are and I love where we can go.

Garett Bolles, Broncos left tackle

Wilson’s release on March 4, 2024, represented a dead money cost of $53 million for the salary cap in 2024 and another $32 million this year. The ownership, led by Greg Penner, has maintained a clear stance:

Our job is to put the best football team on the field every season, regardless of limitations. You will have obstacles, whether they are injuries, something that happens with a player, or financial restrictions with the cap, but we are not going to make excuses.

Greg Penner, Broncos owner

How did the Broncos manage to go from the financial impact of Wilson’s departure to breaking an eight-year playoff drought and emerging as one of the AFC’s top contenders in 2025? The key lies in three fundamental pillars.

Property Investment

The Walton-Penner group, which includes Penner and his wife Carrie, was unanimously approved by NFL owners in August 2022. The acquisition of the franchise for $4.65 billion marked a turning point, providing direction and resources. The property has invested in a modern 205,000-square-foot facility and is working on a multi-million dollar stadium project, both self-funded. Penner hopes the new stadium will host high-profile events, including Super Bowls and concerts. Furthermore, the Penner group’s resources have enabled the Broncos to offer greater financial guarantees in contract extensions. In the last two offseasons, they have guaranteed $228.42 million in extensions for key players such as Bolles, Pat Surtain II, Quinn Meinerz, Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Courtland Sutton, and Jonathon Cooper. This investment capacity has facilitated the hiring of prominent players in free agency.

They could do that because they had the cash for the initial [guarantees] in those deals available when they wanted to do them, when maybe other people couldn’t have pulled it off. They had a young core that they’ve kept together to give them continuity when that’s difficult to keep together in a salary cap situation. And [the Broncos got] the quarterback.

An AFC general manager

The Young Field Marshal

Flexibility in the salary cap is crucial, and having a young quarterback on his rookie contract is key. Bo Nix, selected in the 2024 draft, is seen as the quarterback of the future for the Broncos. His current salary is significantly less than Wilson’s in his final year. Nix, who was the twelfth overall pick in the 2024 draft, has started in all 24 games since being drafted, leading Denver to a 14-10 record. The Broncos believe Nix has the potential to be the long-term franchise quarterback.

I’ve said that Bo has that look, the way of being, that any team would want in a quarterback. I called him a dog, you want that dog… he sets the tone.

Brandon Jones

Despite initial offensive challenges, Payton has praised Nix’s long-term potential.

Maximize Draft Capital

General Manager George Paton and his team have compensated for the loss of draft capital resulting from the Wilson trade. Despite not having first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, the Broncos found talent in later rounds, with players like Bonitto and Marvin Mims Jr. standing out. Bonitto leads the NFL in sacks this season and is in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. In total, the Broncos selected five players in those drafts who are currently starters or high-volume rotational players. In the 2024 draft, the Broncos selected Nix, Jonah Elliss, and Troy Franklin, with players like Jahdae Barron, RJ Harvey, Pat Bryant, Que Robinson, and Jeremy Crawshaw showing impact in the 2025 class.

They built this locker room into what it is. We’re invested in each other here. The guys want to be here, and the young guys feel it when they arrive, they know the standard. I think that’s something the guys here aren’t going to let people not strive for the standard, no matter what.

Brandon Jones

On Sunday, unless something happens to the Giants’ rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart, Wilson will have a front-row seat to see how the Broncos have progressed since his departure.

Everyone has seen what we had to go through. I love this culture, I love what we have, the past is that, the past. We have to keep working, because what is out there is forward, ahead of us.

Jonathon Cooper