Broncos' All-Pro Raves About the Culture Being Cultivated by Payton & Nix

How players react to the sting of defeat, especially in the playoffs, provides an indicator of how deeply they want to win. Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin recently talked about how the bitter taste of the Buffalo Bills' 31-7 beatdown in the Wildcard Round fueled him to take no time away during the offseason.

Third-year wideout Marvin Mims Jr., an emerging downfield weapon, feels exactly the same as McLaughlin when it comes to taking control of the Broncos' narrative. From the sounds of it, some hungry Broncos are joining Mims on his mission to right the wrongs of that brutal playoff setback. 

"Ever since we played Buffalo, a lot of guys stayed around this offseason, and we've been in and out of the facility," Mims said via The Denver Post's Sean Keller. "A lot of guys working out together, travelling together, going on vacation together. I mean, we're [the] closest we've ever been since I've been here. And we're ready to go." 

Undoubtedly, Broncos head coach Sean Payton is getting the same reaction from his veterans, which can set the table for future success. It's taken Payton just two short years to reforge Denver's culture from one of defeatism to one of passionate ambition and accountability, but it was always going to be a process. 

Entering Year 3 of Payton's tenure, the tone he's set from the top of the organization has filtered down to his players in undiluted form. 

"You see how this team was kind of built up last year and built up this year," Mims said via Keller. "We have a lot of gritty players—like, why don't you (go) out there and play like you want it? Not guys that are doing all this extra stuff in the offseason... I mean, think about it. You don't see any guys kind of getting reported on, any type of stuff like that. Guys are doing the right thing. And when it's time to go, for the most part, we had all our guys in OTAs, workouts, all that stuff. And that's the stuff (Payton) likes to see." 

That culture buy-in has propelled the Broncos into a playoff team. And it still has a lot more to offer this team.

The 2025 offseason has seen a number of talented players touch down in the Mile High City. Veterans such as Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Evan Engram are becoming household names within Broncos Country, and the season is still more than two months out.

We've learned that Payton's culture and expectations are non-negotiable. Hufanga, Greenlaw, and Engram accepted those demands fully, we can assume, and the youth of the roster is champing at the bit to get back in the saddle, thanks to the confidence boost of last season.

"Sean (Payton) is going to have a competitive team regardless," Mims said via Keller. "He said it a bunch of times: 'Young and hungry is dangerous.' That's something we were last year, and we felt it. We could feel the energy. So we're excited to go. I'm excited to see what this team can do, even in preseason, because, I mean, it's a culture thing ... I'm really excited." 

Payton has molded the Broncos' roster into playoff shape, and that in itself speaks volumes. However, pushing into the rarefied air of Super Bowl competition will require the burgeoning chemistry between Mims and second-year quarterback Bo Nix to continue to blossom. 

Mims felt things were beginning to click last season, as he would go on to hit a career-high in yards and receptions. However, the 23-year-old All-Pro returner stressed how collaborative the process must continue to be if the Broncos are going to reach their potential. 

"But the connection was definitely there last year," Mims told Keller of Nix. "And we're just going to keep trying to grow and spread across the room. Because, I think, especially with Bo, he knows what he wants. He knows what he sees. The quarterback coach is the pass game coordinator (Davis Webb), so they're talking all the time. And it's going to be a lot better this year. I'm looking forward to it." 

Mims is not alone in his bold outlook, as almost every Bronco who's opened his mouth during the offseason has quickly namechecked Nix as being the magnetic axis around which they're all revolving in 2025. Mims is enthusiastically singing off the same hymn sheet when it comes to Nix and his team's outlook, and it doesn't sound the least bit contrived. 

"It starts at the helm. It really starts with Bo," Mims said via Keller. "Bo is the most confident (guy) ... we can have a good time too, but he's so serious. Like when it's [time] to do football, it's time to do football. And everybody feels that. Everybody learns off of him. And he's always the one speaking. It's not like he's just there, quiet, with a serious look on his face. He's up there speaking. So we see that off of him." 

Nix is the first bona-fide franchise leader the Broncos have had since Peyton Manning's retirement. Just ask Mims and a whole host of others; the evidence of Nix's ascension is mounting.