Sean Payton says Broncos still have ‘hunger’ from ‘coming up short’ last year

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton loves to talk about how each season is a new journey.

But that doesn’t mean last year still isn’t lingering in the brains of him and his players.

The Broncos practiced on Saturday, their final tune-up before the Week 1 opener on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Regular season football is finally here, and Payton was asked about one or two things he likes about his team with training camp and the preseason behind them.

His mind wandered back to last year’s disappointing finish, a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

“I think it’s a smart team. I think there is a feeling of, there’s still that hunger (from) coming up short. I would also say the leadership, the culture, those type of things,” Sean Payton said.

While intelligence, leadership and culture are all important, Payton mentioned the 2025 Broncos falling short of their goal, which was the Super Bowl.

That snowy day in Denver still haunts fans, but it can finally become a thing of the past on Monday. A win over the Chiefs would have Broncos Country feeling great.

And for Payton, he knows the guys still on the team (the vast majority of the roster) are using the AFC Title Game as fuel.

“Ultimately, any good team begins to get taken over by the leaders within the locker room. And I feel like that experience can serve this team well,” Payton said.

It’s not just on the coaching staff, but the players as well.

And it sounds like Sean Payton is leaning on his veterans to learn from last season’s brutal ending to get the Broncos off to a quick start in 2026.

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