Sean Payton doesn’t need to talk Super Bowl now since his players are doing it for him.

The head coach discussed before last season how the Broncos had what it took to win it all. Now, Super Bowl talk has become commonplace.

In March, tight end Adam Trautman said “the expectation is to (make the Super Bowl) and to win it.”

In May, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. said “we’re all expecting a Super Bowl this year.”

In June, linebacker Justin Strnad said “the task is we want to win a Super Bowl and I go to work each and every day for that.”

Denver went 14-3 last season but came up just short of the Super Bowl, falling 10-7 to New England in the AFC Championship Game. Now, the quest resumes for the Broncos to win it all for the first time since the 2015 season.

A Super Bowl win would make Payton the first coach to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy with two different franchises. He led New Orleans to a win in Super Bowl XLIV in the 2009 season.

But what must the Broncos do this season for their hopes to come to fruition? With veterans reporting for training camp at Broncos Park on Tuesday and the first full-squad workout scheduled for Wednesday, here are seven things that must go right for Denver to win its fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.

Why seven? Well, that is the most revered number in Broncos history, what John Elway wore when steering the team to two Super Bowl wins in the late 1990s.

1. Bo Nix must stay healthy

Had the quarterback not suffered a broken right ankle late in a 33-30 overtime win over Buffalo in a divisional playoff and missed the game against the Patriots, the Broncos likely would have been in the Super Bowl last season.

Payton has said Nix, who had two surgeries on his ankle, will at “full speed” in training camp after he was limited last month in a mandatory minicamp. If Nix isn’t a full participant immediately in camp, that would fuel speculation he isn’t fully healthy.

Regardless, Nix must show that his mobility hasn’t been affected by the injury. Nix has been deft in his first two seasons in evading the pass rush and has run for 786 yards.

2. Adjust well to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb

Not only did Payton name the 31-year old Webb to replace the fired Joe Lombardi, he relinquished play-calling duties to him.

Webb will need to assert himself quickly in the role considering Denver’s demanding first six games of the season. After opening against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football on Sept. 14, the Broncos are home against Jacksonville, home against the Los Angeles Rams, at San Francisco, at the Los Angeles Chargers and home against defending champion Seattle.

A slow start and Payton could look to take back playcalling duties.

3. Jonathon Cooper’s legal situation can’t become a distraction

The outside linebacker was arrested twice in June and faces a felony domestic violence charge and two misdemeanors for an alleged incident involving his former girlfriend. He is scheduled for an arraignment Aug. 31, three days after the conclusion of the preseason.

Cooper and fellow outside linebacker Nik Bonitto form one of the NFL’s top pass-rushing duos. It remains to be seen if Cooper could face any sort of suspension this season.

Regardless, the Broncos can’t let Cooper’s situation become a distraction. If he does miss some time, Denver at least has great depth at outside linebacker with reserves Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman and Que Robinson.

4. The running attack must be better

The running game starts with J.K. Dobbins, who was lost for the season in Week 10 of 2025 with a foot injury after rushing for 772 yards. It was the latest injury for a guy who has played in just 47 of 101 regular-season games in six NFL seasons.

It will be important for Dobbins to stay healthy. But if he again misses time, the Broncos must be much better on the ground than they were last season after Dobbins got hurt.

It can help that RJ Harvey, a rookie last season, is more seasoned. And the Broncos added rookie Jonah Coleman, giving them what looks to be a very deep running back room.

5. Jaylen Waddle must be the real deal

Waddle was by far the Broncos’ most significant addition during the offseason. Now, he must prove it was worth Denver sending draft picks, including a first-rounder, to Miami for him.

In five seasons with the Dolphins, Waddle had 373 catches for 5,039 yards. That included 75 grabs for 1,356 yards in 2022, when he led the NFL by averaging 18.1 yards per reception.

Waddle’s production fell off the past two seasons, although Miami’s muddled quarterback situation was a factor. Last season, he had 64 catches for 910 yards and a 14.2 average. The Broncos, meanwhile, are hopeful they got closer to the 2022 version of Waddle.

6. John Franklin-Myers must be adequately replaced

After having 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons, the defensive lineman bolted as a free agent to Tennessee. It is uncertain who will replace him in the lineup.

The leading candidate looks to be Eyioma Uwazurike, who had a solid 2025 after being suspended in 2023 for a gambling rules violation and being rusty in his 2024 return. Also in the mix are second-year man Sai’vion Jones and rookie Tyler Onyedim. Top reserve defensive tackle Malcolm Roach might continue to come off the bench due to his versatility.

Franklin-Myers, though, won’t be easy to replace. He provided a valuable interior pass rush the past two seasons to supplement Bonitto and Cooper on the outside.

7. A productive receiving tight end must emerge

Evan Engram was supposed to be that guy in 2025 after signing as a free agent. But he had just a so-so season, catching 50 passes for 461 yards with just one touchdown.

Engram has said that after having shoulder surgery, he was limited in offseason workouts following the 2024 campaign. He expects having had a full offseason to work out will help in 2026.

If Engram can’t emerge as had been expected, the Broncos did add intriguing rookie tight ends Justin Joly in the fifth round of the draft. But it might be asking a lot for Joly to pay big dividends immediately.

Put it all together, and Nix is looking to reach his goals this season.

“At the end of the day, if you asked that question to every quarterback, they want to win the Super Bowl and an MVP,’’ he said at the mandatory minicamp. “That’s what is going to be my goal each and every year.”

As for Nix vying to be MVP, that’s a topic for another day.