Sean Payton says Broncos are capable of winning Super Bowl: ‘This is my seventh team that I think has that’

It’s been a decade since the Denver Broncos played in a Super Bowl, but could that 10 year drought end this season? Broncos coach Sean Payton, who has a Super Bowl win as the New Orleans Saints coach on his resume, believes it’s possible.

Last year under Payton, the Broncos made their first playoff appearance since the 2015 season, the year they went on to defeat the Carolina Panthers in the big game. The 2024 postseason ended a lot different, as it was one-and-done for Denver, who was no match for the Buffalo Bills.

First-rounder Bo Nix showed a lot of hope for the future in his rookie year, breaking records as he helped lead the team to a 10-7 record. The team added some pieces in the offseason (like linebacker Dre Greenlaw), and worked to keep their core around (like defensive lineman Zach Allen), moves that have heightened the expectations for the team heading into 2025.

Payton, who knows about playoff success, believes this Broncos team is capable of a lot.

“The short-term goal is winning the division,” Payton said. “But this is a team capable of winning the Super Bowl. I’ve coached six teams that I thought could win the Super Bowl. Some went to championship games, some to the playoffs. This is my seventh team that I think has that.”

Per Caesars Sportsbook, the Broncos are +3000 to win it all, same odds as the Houston Texans.

Winning any division is difficult, but winning the AFC West, a division with the Kansas City Chiefs, who won two of the last three Super Bowls and the last nine divisional titles, is a different beast. The AFC West also has the Los Angeles Chargers, who while sometimes being an up-and-down team, went 11-6 and came in second in the division last year. 

Three teams won their division with a 10-7 record last year, the Texans of the AFC South, the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFC South, but it will take more than 10 victories to get hats and t-shirts in the AFC West.

Denver has the third-best odds of winning their division (+340), behind the Chiefs (-115) and Chargers (+305) and ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders (+1200). The Broncos odds of punching a ticket to the playoffs are slightly better than pick’em (-135).

Payton has a 170-105 regular season record as a head coach, with a 9-9 postseason record.