After a horrendous start to the 2023-24 NFL campaign, head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos were able to mount a fairly impressive in-season turnaround to give their games some meaning down the stretch. Unfortunately for the Broncos, turmoil regarding quarterback Russell Wilson combined with a regression back to the mean in terms of play on the field meant that the team didn't advance to the playoffs; however, it appears that Payton is still looking forward to what's to come for his franchise and seems to have grown to love the team's fanbase.

“It's important obviously to our fanbase, on a smaller level, but still in a significant way,” said Payton at a recent press conference, per Andrew Mason of Denver Sports on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “It's very important to those people back there. That's an attraction. Coaching somewhere where it really matters a lot I think is important. I think that that was an attraction here.”

The Broncos have indeed been known to have one of the most passionate fanbases in the NFL over the years. That passion was put to the test throughout the last couple of seasons, particularly this year when the Broncos gave up an astonishing 70 points in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. However, although they weren't able to make the postseason, the team did give its fans at least something to be excited about as they showed improvement throughout the year.

Up next for Sean Payton and his staff is a highly important offseason to determine the course of the franchise.