In an exclusive interview, Pat Surtain said he’s excited to have Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga explaining, “They have that Super Bowl pedigree.”

The Denver Broncos have been building toward being a contender since Sean Payton took the reins in 2023.

And after taking the team to the playoffs last season, the Broncos are looking to keep rising in the ranks, from competitors to true contenders.

Adding players with a Super Bowl pedigree, experience should help Denver in playoffs

Experience is crucial in sports. It’s rare that teams and players win the biggest games in their first tries. Often, it takes multiple attempts, playing the toughest opponents when the lights shine the brightest to get over the hump.

Think of going from a perennial loser to a mediocre team, then from mediocre to contender as steps on a staircase. A team has to take one step at a time, gaining valuable experience along the way.

January’s Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills was the first postseason experience for long-time Broncos like Garett Bolles and Courtland Sutton. And the same goes for young stars like Quinn Meinerz, Bo Nix, and Patrick Surtain.

Not only do the new Broncos defenders have playoff experience, but Super Bowl experience. Which is where Denver wants to eventually be, in the Big Game.

”Obviously, they have that Super Bowl pedigree,” said Surtain to D.J. Siddiqi of The Sports Daily. “They have that experience as well too. And to add it on towards our team, I think that’s a huge factor. That’s very vital towards our success when you get to add guys with that Super Bowl experience. Seeing how it’s done, seeing what it takes to get there, I think that’s a huge addition towards our team and our roster.”

Talanoa Hufanga has played in five playoff games during his four-year career, including two NFC Championship Games. Meanwhile, Dre Greenlaw has 12 games of playoff experience, including two Super Bowl losses.

Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon while running onto the field in the middle of Super Bowl LVIII, and then missed most of 2024 while rehabbing that injury.

Still, Greenlaw and Hufanga–both coming from a winning culture in San Francisco–know what it takes to win divisions, playoff games, and make the Super Bowl. That’s huge for Denver.

Greenlaw and Hufanga can help Denver’s defense take the next step

Denver’s defense was dominant last year, but there’s hope Greenlaw and Hufanga can help them improve.

The Broncos led the NFL in sacks in 2024, with a team-record 63 in the regular season. They were also third in points against (18.3 PPG), and third in red zone scoring percentage (46.9%).

Plus, they had Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain as their star cornerback and leader.

But Greenlaw and Hufanga should make the group even better in 2025.

Greenlaw is a special linebacker who can stop the run, and most importantly, cover tight ends and running backs. That’s something the Broncos have missed for a long time.

He’s a tackling machine like we’ve seen in the Mile High City in recent years, but he’s a better athlete than Cody Barton or Alex Singleton.

Hufanga is a do-it-all safety, one of those linebacker-safety hybrid type players. He’s a great tackler in run support and when coming up to stop plays close to the line of scrimmage. Hufanga will be a fantastic pairing to go with Brandon Jones, one of the best coverage safeties in the league today.

If the Broncos want to make the playoffs for a second straight year, they’ll likely be led by their defense again. And if they want to win in the postseason, having players with a Super Bowl pedigree should help.