ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' season ended a step shy of Santa Clara.
The belief in what's next, however, has never been stronger.
As the Broncos head into the offseason following a 10-7 loss in the AFC Championship Game, the sting of a three-point loss won't soon fade. But it can motivate a team that took a significant step in 2025 and has goals of accomplishing even more in 2026 and beyond.
"I expect it to fuel me just the same as the Buffalo loss last year, if not more," outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper said. "'Cause being that close and not getting there sets a fire in you. I'm not going to let that taste leave my mouth. I'm just going to get right back to work."
Added tight end Evan Engram: "I'm thankful for the journey we went on, and I think us getting that close is just going to make this entire building hungrier."
The Broncos' 2025 journey featured the organization's first division title in a decade, the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the team's first playoff win since Super Bowl 50. And while the Broncos couldn't earn yet another one-score win on Sunday, this year's campaign stood in stark contrast to their 2024 season.
"I think this year, we won those big games," defensive end Zach Allen said. "Last year, obviously we got into the playoffs, but against the top dogs, we struggled."
In 2024, the Broncos captured their first playoff berth in nearly a decade, but Allen's point rang true. Denver posted a 1-6 record in one-score games and was 2-7 in games against playoff teams, including a Wild Card round loss to the Bills.
A year later, Denver flipped that script. The Broncos tied an NFL record with 11 one-score regular-season wins and also set an NFL mark with 12 comeback victories. In the Divisional Round, the Broncos added another win to each of those columns as they outdueled the league's reigning MVP in Josh Allen. The Broncos also finished the year 5-3 in matchups against postseason teams.
"This year, [we] had some really good wins against some really good teams in some tough environments," Allen said. "I think it's encouraging, and next year will be a good one."
In defensive tackle Malcolm Roach's eyes, the standard has only increased each year. And that will continue to be true when the team returns to attack the 2026 season.
"My first year here, last year, was kind of just proving it to ourselves," Roach said of the Broncos' defense. "And this year was kind of knowing what we had but just wanting to show the world. … Next year, I think, is kind of like, we know what the standard is now. We know the way we've got to work every day. We know what we've got to do to be a great defense, a great D-line. So just knowing that, I think we've already [gotten] through the first two levels, and just understanding the standard, coming to work every day, knowing how we've got to push guys — the chemistry is building. I think next year is going to be another special year."
The challenge of each NFL season, though, requires starting anew.
"You've got to go do it all over again," safety Talanoa Hufanga said.
In the wake of a difficult loss, that challenge seems to excite the Broncos rather than scare them. On Monday, Roach was the latest Broncos player to describe the team as "battle-tested" — and Sunday's loss may ultimately be a needed defeat en route to bigger accomplishments.
"It's always a climb," Roach said. "Every season's new. … It's going to be new challenges, but we've got to find a way.
"… It's going to be a challenge like it is every year, but I think we're going to be up for it."
