ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos are officially back at camp, and with that comes renewed focus — not just on football, but on a few looming contract situations.
Players like Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen, and Nik Bonitto are among those reportedly in line for new deals. Head coach Sean Payton didn’t dodge the topic but kept things brief.
“Look, there's several guys you're going to ask me about, a few contracts. They're all, you know, being worked on — something we really would never discuss with you,” Payton said. “Been good communication, and I'm just going to leave it at that, relative to the specific players.”
Outside expectations for Denver are rising as the team heads into year three under Payton. The Broncos have been ranked in the top 15 in most preseason power rankings, with some outlets listing them as high as No. 8. Payton acknowledged the shift in perception but welcomed it.
“You're playing on a national stage more, and there might be unique travel more, but that's all. That's what we're wanting,” he said. “We're not a finished product by any means. We're still... there's a lot of parallels to that building across the way here. We're still a work in progress.”
Still, inside Broncos Park, it’s business as usual.
“It's all about getting back to work, wearing your football shoes on the grass, moving around,” Payton said. “You know, I thought today was a good start.”
One of the main storylines entering camp is quarterback Bo Nix, who put in serious offseason work as he looks to make an immediate impact.
“He's someone that works his tail off. Wants to improve,” Payton said. “He's gone and visited Drew Brees for four or five days, and there's a lot that he wants to absorb in a fast period of time, and that's a great thing for a young player like that.”
The team has one more "ramp-up" day before camp officially begins on Friday in front of 800 fans.
