ENGLEWOOD — Sean Payton likes his team.

He’s not pinning blame on the previous coaching staff, not begging his quarterback to stop kissing babies, not placing playoff expectations on one of the youngest rosters in the NFL.

Why is this finally the year the Broncos exorcise a near-decade of dysfunction and take baby steps back to their winning ways? The coach likes his team. Start there.

“I like where we’re at,” Payton said during training camp.

Eight years late, the rebuild is underway. It will start with rookie quarterback Bo Nix showing enough moxie to justify No. 10 jerseys under the Christmas tree — and six wins at the end.

The Broncos will beat the Steelers and Russell Wilson, the quarterback with whom Payton had a lousy football relationship. They fought like a married couple who shouldn’t have married.

Then they will beat the Raiders (finally, after eight straight losses in a lopsided rivalry), Panthers, Browns, Colts and Chiefs, who will seal the AFC West long before the Jan. 5 finale.

No playoffs — but plenty of promise.

Colorado two-way phenom Travis Hunter will be Denver’s top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Broncos ownership committed over $100 million in Empower Field at Mile High upgrades and to another $175 million construction project at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit, their headquarters in Englewood. I expect plans for a new Broncos stadium won’t be too far off.

I asked Greg Penner, co-owner and chief executive officer, if he’s ever overseen so much construction. Penner said the new Walmart home office in Bentonville, Ark., covers 350 acres.

Silly me.

Penner has pledged to have Nix’s back when the strangely mature 24-year-old quarterback encounters the inevitable growing pains of a first-year professional quarterback.

Payton likes Broncos ownership, too. They’ve provided the Broncos everything they need.

Payton likes his top wide receiver enough to give Courtland Sutton a pay raise. He likes his offensive line enough to make it one of the top-10 most expensive offensive lines in the game.

“Most important position group on your roster,” he said. “I think it permeates your building.”

He likes his rookie class, telling NFL Network to “mark my words” the likes of Nix, Jonah Elliss, Audric Estime and Devaughn Vele will be “a significant part” of the team’s successful future.

Payton loves Nix — enough to make Nix the sixth quarterback taken in the draft’s top 12 picks.

“And I think Sean knows how to develop quarterbacks,” John Elway told me.

Payton should like the Broncos’ schedule. It ranks in the bottom third of the NFL’s toughest schedules based on last year’s win percentages. He must like that there is no game in London, Mexico City or some far-off locale where players can do high knees on the plane. He must like the NFL for giving the Broncos only two prime-time games, a problematic kickoff time lately.

“We can’t get off to the start we did a year ago (0-3) and dig ourselves in a hole,” Payton said.

Not many teams would claim the head coach is the face of the program. I count three: Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Mike Tomlin (Steelers) and Payton (Broncos). You know he likes that.

Six wins doesn’t sound like much to like for Broncos Country. But the natives by now have stopped being restless and are finally ready for a proper rebuild done the right way.

Betting odds say the Broncos will finish last in the AFC West and out of the playoffs again.

“There’s a ‘prove them wrong’ mindset,’” Payton said.

A year ago, even the rare high points were met with angst. After beating the Packers, a playoff team, Payton said he circled a parking lot while going out for sushi. He doesn’t like sushi.

“Why can’t I be happy?” he asked himself.

Now he likes his team, a good place to start.