Aric Dilalla

And as Bo Nix reflected on his rookie season, the chance to gain valuable lessons from 18 starts across the regular season and playoffs was among the biggest takeaways from a prolific first campaign.

QB Bo Nix nominated for NFL Rookie of the Year award

"Obviously we're still not there yet, and yet we're a lot closer than we were at this time a year ago," Payton said.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos believe they've found the answer at the game's most important position.

Nik Bonitto, Quinn Meinerz, Marvin Mims Jr., Pat Surtain II named to PFWA All-NFL team

OLB Jonah Elliss named to PFWA All-Rookie team

Surtain is the third player in franchise history to be named the 101 Awards' AFC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Lyle Alzado (1977) and Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar (1978). He is the first cornerback to earn the honor in either conference since Stephon Gilmore in 2019.

The Broncos' lockdown cornerback is the franchise's first player to earn the PFWA honor since the award's inception in 1992.

In his second season in Denver, Payton led the Broncos to their first 10-win season and first playoff appearance since 2015.

The 12th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nix led all rookies in completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and total touchdowns during the regular season. He also ranked second among rookies in passer rating.