DENVER — The Denver Broncos extended head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton to five-year contracts during the 2026 offseason. The team retained most of its roster and added Jaylen Waddle following a season that included an appearance in the AFC championship game.

The roster returns all but one starter from the previous season. Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner own the franchise.

Payton discussed the continuity within the team. "It's a good question, and honestly, I don't think there was ever that meeting where we went in and said, 'All right, we're going to keep a lot of the same guys,'" he said. "There obviously was a lot more transition in '23." Payton added that decisions concerning returning players are based on what the team seeks. "Some of those decisions that were made prior to the offseason relative to players' returning, it's just, 'What are we looking for in a player? What's the skill set? Does he endear himself to his teammates?' Those types of things," he said.

Payton also commented on the competitive nature of games. "I think that the situational football, more and more, when you just look at the way these games are finishing, a record number of three-point games last year," he said. He noted a record number of lead changes in the postseason. "The margins each year continue to just get a little bit closer, so paying attention to that I think is real important," Payton said.

Nix reflected on the value of team cohesion. "For professionals, I think it's kind of underrated because we sort of take it for granted that we can just sort of bring another guy in or change a team," Nix said. "We're professionals, we'll handle it right." He pointed out that historically, players did not move between teams as frequently. "But you look at the teams that stick together for a long time, they end up winning," Nix said.