The Denver Broncos are eager to take another step forward this season as Sean Payton’s young team has an internal belief that they can win this season. Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey believes the team has what it takes to go further than they did last season.
Denver Broncos have internal belief in direction of team culture
McGlinchey came over last offseason from the San Francisco 49ers, a team that possesses a strong winning culture. Even though Denver hasn’t had success in the win column over the last handful of years, McGlinchey has maintained his stance that he feels the team is heading in the right direction.
“Well, I think there’s certainly an internal belief more than there was when I got here a year ago,” McGlinchey said. “People believe that we can win, people believe that we’re on the right track, and people have bought into the program. I think the biggest key is the continuity of year-to-year and how this thing keeps building as you add and subtract players and as you add and subtract coaches. It’s been a great deal for us to continue to learn the little nuances of what’s going on here.”
This year’s Broncos team feels different. While veteran voices are still present, there has been a sprinkle of youth that really summarizes the direction this team is heading beyond 2024. Sean Payton’s goal, alongside general manager George Paton and team CEO Greg Penner, is to draft and develop players and avoid being primarily a free agency-driven team.
“Like we all talked about last year, learning how to win is also learning how to stop beating yourself,” McGlinchey said. “I think with the experience of another year of doing this all together, I think that’s going to help us go a long way.”
With rookie quarterback Bo Nix in position to take over, this is the window for this young Broncos team to learn how to win, and McGlinchey sees that.
“Well, certainly you see a guy that’s not afraid to compete,” McGlinchey said. “I think that’s the biggest factor for him as he’s come into this camp. You could put yourself behind by playing hesitant. It’s certainly a mistake that probably every player makes at some point in his career and especially as a young guy. We haven’t seen any of that from Bo and that’s been a really, really cool thing to watch. Certainly, he’s going to keep building on that confidence too. I said it the other day, he has a very unique combination of humility and confidence that goes a long way for his position and certainly, as a rookie stepping in here with a lot of pressure on himself. He’s taken that [in] stride, and there’s no fear of competition, and there’s no fear of getting out there and going for it. That certainly has showed in the way that he’s progressed all of camp.”
If Nix clicks and the offense can be better at running the football and sustaining drives, there’s a good chance that the team culture we see brewing inside of the locker room will come to fruition sooner rather than later.