The countdown to kickoff is officially underway for the 2025 NFL football season, as both rookies and veterans have reported to duty at Dove Valley. The highly anticipated season features a promising draft class, highly touted free agency selections, and returning veterans, all coming off their first playoff season in eight years. Head Coach Sean Payton, going into his third season with the Broncos, hopes to have struck the right balance with GM George Paton, in his fifth season, in improving the team.

The first public training camp is scheduled to begin on Friday, July 25th, followed by the Back Together Weekend Event on Saturday.  The team will have just over two weeks of training camp before the first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Jose, California. Before the game, the two teams will hold a joint practice at the 49ers’ facility.

It was with the San Francisco 49ers that three of the Broncos’ current key players came from before joining the Broncos. During their time there, they were also part of a Super Bowl experience, which they now bring to the Broncos. It is also from the same stadium where the Broncos won their last championship, Super Bowl 50.

Offensive Tackle Mike McGlinchey played for the 49ers from 2018 to 2022 before he joined the Broncos. In the offseason, the Broncos acquired two more starters on the defensive side from San Francisco, with linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. McGlinchey discussed both players and shared his thoughts on the upcoming season.
“I mean, obviously their play speaks for themselves. I think ‘Huf’ (S. Talanoa Hufanga) and [LB] Dre [Greenlaw] are two of the best at their positions across the league, and they’re monstrous additions for us defensively,” said McGlinchey. “The two of them bring such an energy, especially [because] the defensive side of the football is a very emotional, energetic kind of style of play. You can feel Dre Greenlaw when he steps onto the field. You can feel ‘Huf’ when he makes plays in the box or takes a chance on a great interception. Those two are going to help us tremendously this year, and I’m happy to be back on the same side as them.”

The two defensive players bolster a defense that was number one in the NFL in sacks and had the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 with Patrick Surtain II. Even with having one of the top defenses in the league last season, the Broncos used their first overall pick on another cornerback when they chose Jahdae Barron with the 20th pick in the first round of the draft.
“I mean, we haven’t even practiced yet. We certainly feel like we could be, but we have to put in the work day in and day out,” McGlinchey went on to say. “We’re obviously very excited about what we have here. Everybody feels a little bit more comfortable with the experience we gained last year [with] the year that we had and knowing that’s still not good enough. We’re really excited for the opportunity to come into work and earn a chance to be at the top of the NFL. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Representing the defensive side of the ball, DPOY Patrick Surtain II also addressed the 2025 Broncos assembly as they reported for training camp this week. “You want to set expectations pretty high,” said Surtain. “You cant allow yourself to waiver from the fact that we have a lot of goals to accomplish as a team. We’re just going to take it day-by-day in training camp, and just keep on sharpening iron, sharpening our toolbox, and keep on getting better out here on the gridiron.”

“We’re determined, and we have a lot of selfless leaders out here. That just goes a long way. There are guys that put the team first before themselves, and that goes through everybody on the team. I think that resonates pretty well what our common goal is. We know that in the playoffs last year, we didn’t get the result we wanted so that just adds another chip onto our shoulder going into this year. We have the right team to do so.”

There will only be one preseason game at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium this season. It will take place on Saturday, August 16th, against the Arizona Cardinals. The third and final preseason game will take place on August 23rd against the New Orleans Saints, the team’s former home and the current home of Head Coach Sean Payton. Payton discussed the early stages leading up to camp.

“It’s good to be back.” Payton said. “Of course, these early first few practices are more of a ramp-up stage that we’re in relative to time and what we can do with pads. It was pretty uneventful relative to yesterday [with] everyone’s arrival. [The] meeting schedule has been good. Obviously, it’s a little different just with the construction. We’re fortunate to still be open for business, if you will, for our fans, and that’s a good thing.”

“You’re getting back into it. They left in good shape. The five weeks between when we were last here and now, these guys all do a good job of training, whether they’re here local or somewhere else. But the installation—I just mentioned to them—is a process. We’re going to have four straight days of installation and then when the pads come on, we’ll be back with the same installation. So it’s retaining, getting a chance to repeat and put the mistakes behind you. So there are a number of things. Getting back into wearing your football shoes on the grass and moving around. I thought today was a good start. We weren’t long out there. It’s building it up. Before—I mean years ago—you’d have your report day and that afternoon, there’d be a conditioning test. It’s just changed a lot.”

The Broncos will host 13 free and open training camp practices for fans at their 2025 Training Camp, with capacity limited due to construction at Broncos Park. To safely and comfortably accommodate fans, the construction of the team’s new training facility will cap capacity at approximately 800 fans for each of the 13 open practices, which are expected to be among the largest in the NFL. The fan-viewing location will be on the south end of the practice fields via temporary bleacher seating. Tickets are required for the free event through Ticketmaster.

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