ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Broncos reported to training camp on Tuesday, they didn't shy away from their heightened expectations for the season to come.

But right tackle Mike McGlinchey and cornerback Pat Surtain II were also realistic about the early nature of the Broncos' journey toward their season-long goals.

"I mean, we haven't even practiced yet," McGlinchey joked Tuesday when asked if Denver felt like a championship-level team, "but certainly we feel like we could be. But we've got to put it in the work, day in and day out."

Surtain acknowledged the Broncos want to "set expectations pretty high," but he said they can't let lofty goals detract from the days they must stack over the coming weeks.

"You can't let that allow yourself to waver from that fact that we've still got a lot of goals to accomplish as a team," Surtain said. "We're just going to take it day by day in training camp and just keep on sharpening iron, keep on sharpening our tool box and just keep on getting better out here on the gridiron."

As they put the work in, though, there is an internal belief that they have the pieces to progress from last season's playoff loss in Buffalo.

"We're determined," Surtain said. "We've got a lot of selfless leaders, and that just goes a long way. There's guys that put the team first before themselves, and that goes through everybody on the team. I think it resonates pretty well what our common goal is. We know in the playoffs last year, we didn't get the result that we wanted. That just adds another chip on our shoulder going toward this year. We've got the right team to do so."

McGlinchey echoed Surtain's sentiment, crediting the value of Denver's late-season run to the playoffs in 2024.

"We're obviously very, very excited about what we have here," McGlinchey said. "Everybody feels a little bit more comfortable with the experience we gained last year and the year that we had and knowing that that's still not good enough. And so we're really excited for the opportunity to come into work and earn a chance to be at the top of the NFL, and that's what we're going to try and do."

Both players have played in the biggest games — Surtain at the collegiate level and McGlinchey in the NFL — and know what it will take to turn their hopes for the season into reality.

"You've got to have a little bit of luck, you've got to be able to stay healthy, and you've got to be able to be your best when your best is needed," McGlinchey said. "And I think we have the guys that are made up of the right stuff in this locker room and certainly the right coaching staff to get us in place to have those opportunities to win those kinds of games."

And yet, it's not time to think so far ahead.

"Like I said, it's July 22nd, and we've got a long way to go," McGlinchey said.