ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Broncos return to the field for the start of OTAs, the focus is solely on what's ahead.
Denver's success from a season ago — a year in which the team won its first division title in a decade and advanced to the AFC Championship Game — will not dictate the Broncos' 2026 fortune.
And as cornerback Pat Surtain II and his teammates look toward the new season, that message echoed at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit on Tuesday.
"There was a good saying from V.J. [Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph] earlier today, basically saying, 'It's a new year,'" Surtain said Tuesday at his inaugural Topgolf Challenge with PS2. "Whatever we did last year doesn't matter now. It's a new slate. Teams are getting better and better, but we've got to find a way to get better than we were last year."
Denver's defense finished the 2025 season ranked second in total defense and third in scoring defense, but Surtain said the team has its eyes on accomplishing more in the season ahead.
"Obviously, we fell a little short last year, so we've definitely got high hopes and aspirations coming up," Surtain said.
Surtain said the Broncos have "a special group," and he credited the continuity in the locker room that came from a number of key re-signings during the offseason.
"I feel like we've just got a special group all around as a team, every unit," Surtain said. "Our bond, our chemistry, cohesiveness is top notch. That's something I wouldn't want to take away."
The Broncos will put that bond to the test early in the 2026 season, as Denver will open its year in Kansas City before five consecutive games against playoff teams from a year ago.
"I think that's what NFL football's about," Surtain said. "In order to reach the top, you've got to play the best. I think our schedule definitely says that. … We've got a big stretch in the first six weeks. I'm looking forward to it.
"That's the exciting part about the game: that you've got to prove yourself each and every year."
As the Broncos begin the on-field portion of their voluntary offseason program, that's a message that has resonated among Surtain and his teammates.
