Sean Payton is entering Year 2 of his regime, and the expectations are low, but that may be where he likes it. Last fall, the Broncos marked a three-win improvement from their disastrous 2022 campaign, going from 5-12 to 8-9 in 2023. But it was perceived as a cultural change and conventional wisdom states that it takes 3-5 years for a culture to change. And to do that, Payton had to lay down a heavy hand.
However, with cultural change comes familiarity, and according to Jonas Griffith, Payton appears more comfortable with his Broncos players as the 2024 NFL season approaches.
“I think he’s very confident in the team this year,” Griffith said during an interview with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay 104.3 The Fan‘s ‘The Drive.’ “We’re going to surprise a lot of people.
“He talks about it a lot to us, too. He’s like, ‘Hey, you know — real comfortable with the guys this year. And we’re ready to go. Got a lot of work to do still, but we’re ready.”
Although expectations are low, Payton’s confidence could be a good sign for the Broncos as they head into training camp next month.