After starting 4-11 last season, the Denver Broncos fired first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games remaining. Jerry Rosburg then took over on an interim basis and the club split their final two games to finish the year with a 5-12 record.
After firing Hackett, the Broncos’ new ownership group wanted to go big, so they agreed to trade first- and second-round draft picks to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a third-round pick and the rights to head coach Sean Payton last January.
While Denver did not qualify for the playoffs, the team did take a step forward in Year 1 under Payton, improving from 5-12 in 2022 to 8-9 in 2023. That marked the team’s best record since 2017. The next step is posting a winning record and qualifying for the postseason in 2024.
So, what did we learn from Payton’s first season in Denver? Here are 15 quick takeaways from the Broncos’ 2023 season.
1
Russell Wilson was improved, but not good enough
Wilson had the worst season of his career under Hackett last season and Payton helped him get back on track. Wilson’s completion percentage improved from 60.5% to 66.4%, his touchdown passes increased from 16 to 26 and his interceptions dropped from 11 to 8. Payton deserves credit for getting the best out of Wilson, but the QB has a limited ceiling. Wilson was sacked 45 times this season, an improvement from last year’s 55 times, but still too high of a number. The veteran QB seemingly had a bad habit of holding the ball too long if his initial read was not open, sometimes spinning himself into a sack when pressure did not warrant it. Wilson also has well-known issues with throwing in the middle of the field, and while he’s great at improvising and making clutch plays late, the QB is clearly not the best fit for Payton’s offense. So, the Broncos will likely move on in March.
2
Switching from Brandon McManus to Wil Lutz was the right move
One of Payton’s first surprising moves after taking the job was releasing veteran kicker Brandon McManus, the team’s last remaining member from the Super Bowl 50 roster. After dropping McManus (32), Payton traded a seventh-round pick to his old team, the Saints, to acquire his old kicker, Wil Lutz (29). The switch saved the Broncos more than $2 million in salary cap space, and Lutz proved to be a better kicker in 2023. Lutz went 30-of-34 (88.2%) on field goals this season while McManus went 32-of-39 (82.05%). Lutz is younger and cheaper, and he was more accurate in 2023.
3
Vance Joseph deserves credit for defensive turnaround
After a historically bad start that included allowing 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was heavily criticized by fans and pundits (including Rex Ryan — and Broncos Wire). Payton exercised patience, though, giving Joseph time to sort things out, and that patience was rewarded. Joseph made several changes to the starting lineup, and Denver benefited from several key defenders returning from injuries. The defense certainly wasn’t perfect down the stretch, but it was much improved, and Joseph deserves credit for turning things around.
4
Kareem Jackson's style no longer fits in today's NFL
Jackson, 35, is an old-school defensive back with a brutal playing style that the NFL has moved away from in recent years. The veteran safety was fined four times, ejected twice and suspended twice for unnecessary roughness this season. After he returned from the second suspension, the Broncos waived Jackson instead of making room for him on the roster. Jackson was then picked up by the Texans and he’s now playoff-bound. After meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during his second suspension, Jackson said, “I’m not really sure what I do moving forward, as far as playing this game.” It wouldn’t be surprising to see the safety retire after Houston’s playoff run wraps up.
5
The offensive line took a big step forward
The offensive line allowed 52 sacks, but as noted above, Wilson shared much of the blame for that (and it’s better than last year’s total of 63 sacks allowed). Overall, the front five took a big step forward this season. Payton immediately gave big-money deals to guard Ben Powers and right tackle Mike McGlinchey in free agency. While McGlinchey proved to be a weak link in pass protection, he was excellent in the run game and the unit overall ranked ninth in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. They were ranked 21st by PFF last year. With a tough cap situation on deck, the Broncos will need to make a decision on looming free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry.
6
Javonte Williams struggled after returning from injury
After his 2022 season was cut short by ACL and LCL injuries, Williams made a surprisingly quick recovery last offseason and was back on the field for the team’s season opener. Perhaps not so surprising was Williams struggling to return to his pre-injury form. Williams finished the year with 774 rushing yards and three touchdowns, worse totals than his rookie season (903 yards and four scores). It’s not unusual for a player returning from a serious knee injury to have a down year in his first season back. Broncos fans can only hope that Williams will have a bounce-back performance in 2024 when he’s another year removed from surgery.
7
D.J. Jones and Zach Allen are a solid d-line duo
Jones and Allen teamed up in 2023 to total 106 tackles and seven sacks, respectable numbers from an interior defensive line duo. Jones and Allen were the team’s best defensive linemen this season, but it might be difficult to bring them both back in 2024. Jones is set to have a salary cap hit of $12.98 million in 2024, and Allen will have a cap hit of $19 million next season. Denver could save $10 million if Jones is cut this offseason. His play doesn’t warrant a release, but the Broncos will have to make some tough decisions this spring to get out of a cap hole.
8
The Broncos need more from their pass rush
Jonathon Cooper (8.5) led the team in sacks this season, followed by Nik Bonitto (8.0), Allen (5.0) and Baron Browning (4.5). Those are good numbers for rotational rushers, but not the kind of production Denver wants from starting outside linebackers. Browning was injured to start the 2023 season, so he might take a step forward in 2024 when he’s fully healthy going into the season. Cooper has greatly exceeded expectations as a former seventh-round pick, but he’s better suited to serve as a rotational rusher than as an every-down edge defender (and Bonitto is a similar case). The Broncos should make pass rusher a high priority this spring.
9
Courtland Sutton was a bright spot on offense
Don’t let Courtland Sutton returning from a concussion and underwhelming in Denver’s season finale take away from his 2023 season overall. The 28-year-old receiver hauled in spectacular catches multiple times this season and he ended the year with 10 touchdown receptions, marking the first time in the last decade that the Broncos have had a WR score double-digit TDs. Hats off to Sutton for an impressive year.
10
Jerry Jeudy disappointed … again
Jeudy had an exciting catch and run for a 24-yard touchdown against the Raiders on Sunday, but his season overall was a disappointment. Through five seasons with the Broncos, Jeudy is yet to reach 68 catches, 1,000 yards or seven touchdowns in a single season. He’s talented, but Jeudy has never lived up to his full potential in Denver. Perhaps a change of scenery before Jeudy’s $12.987 million fifth-year option kicks in would be best for all parties.
11
Denver found a gem in Ja'Quan McMillian
Similar to Sutton, McMillian did not end the season on a strong note, but his overall season was a huge success. The second-year defensive back took over slot duties a few weeks into the season and quickly emerged as a play-maker. McMillian ended the year with seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage, five pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
On offense, rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin also looks like an undrafted gem. The speedster finished his first season with 570 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, pretty impressive for a guy who wasn’t a lock to make the 53-man roster last summer.
12
Marvin Mims should be more involved in 2024
Mims earned a Pro Bowl nod as a returner in his rookie season, but he had a minimal role on offense in 2023. That didn’t change much after Wilson was benched, either. Payton should find ways to utilize Mims’ speed on offense more often next season.
On defense, the Broncos also need to get more out of linebacker Drew Sanders and cornerback Riley Moss. Sanders got more playing time late in the season, but Moss played almost exclusively on special teams in 2023. Denver needs to find more snaps for all three rookies in 2024.
13
Broncos need to improve their secondary depth
Pat Surtain and Justin Simmons are the stars of Denver’s secondary, but there’s limited depth behind them. The Broncos can’t afford to go into 2024 with Fabian Moreau as the No. 2 cornerback across from Surtain and an injury-riddled Caden Sterns as the No. 2 safety across form Simmons. P.J. Locke is set to become a free agent in March and he should be an in-house priority for Denver. The Broncos should add multiple cornerbacks and safeties to create more depth and competition in 2024.
14
Denver botched a big opportunity in 2023
In a year in which the Kansas City Chiefs had their worst season since 2017, the Broncos had a legitimate opportunity to make some noise in the AFC West. Instead, Denver ended up third in the division and let the Chiefs claim a division title with 11 wins. Even beyond the division picture, just one more win would have put the Broncos in the playoff race as a Wild Card contender going into Week 18. Losses against the Las Vegas Raiders (17-16 in Week 1), Washington Commanders (35-33), New York Jets (31-21), Houston Texans (22-17) and New England Patriots (26-23) proved to be costly. A victory in just one of those winnable games could have put Denver in position to make the postseason. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
15
Sean Payton can get the team back on track
There are many negative takeaways from the 2023 season, and the Broncos have a lot of work to do this offseason to get back on track. Fortunately, Payton is capable of getting the job done. Fans and pundits will criticize his handling of Wilson and the late-season losses, but Payton still delivered the team’s best record in eight years. Denver fell short of the playoffs in 2023 and the Broncos finished below .500 yet again, but they also won the most games in a single season since the Gary Kubiak era. Payton will address the QB situation this offseason (perhaps with the 12th overall pick?) and aim to snap the club’s eight-year playoff drought. Denver is facing an uphill climb, but Payton was hired for just that task. Broncos fans should give him time to rebuild the roster and get the franchise back on track.
