Ending 8-year playoff drought is sweet for Broncos veterans Sutton and Bolles

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Ending the Denver Broncos' long playoff drought was especially poignant for left tackle Garett Bolles and wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

“GB and I are the two longest-tenured guys on the team, so we’ve been through the ugly,” Sutton said. “For us to be able to see this other side of it, and to be able to have this opportunity to continue this legacy of this season, man this is really dope.”

The Broncos (10-7) visit the Buffalo Bills (13-4) on Sunday in the wild-card round after ending their eight-year playoff drought. Their clincher was a 38-0 shutout of Kansas City's backups Sunday.

“I am grateful for these last eight years," Bolles said. "It’s just made me who I am today, made this organization who it is today. I’ve gone through so many different coaches and so many different things and so many different quarterbacks. But to be in this moment, take this franchise back to where it belongs, in the playoffs, and be one of the longest-tenured Broncos, it’s the sweetest moment that I can think of.”

The Broncos are back in the postseason for the first time since beating Carolina in Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016, and their MVP of that game, Von Miller, now plays for the Bills, where he had six sacks at age 35 this season.

Bolles, 32, and Sutton, 29, a seventh-year pro, embraced as the clock ticked away on the Broncos' win over the Chiefs.

“GB and I got to have a little moment on the sideline when the game was getting ready to be over," Sutton said. "You want to talk about a guy who has been through a lot, a guy who has battled through injuries, a guy who has battled through just as much as I have and you add a year on top of it. To see the joy and the light in his eyes, man, to know that we have a chance. That’s all you can ask for — to have a chance.”

Both Bolles, who signed a four-year, $82 million extension last month, and Sutton have had some of their best seasons since coach Sean Payton's arrival two years ago.

Bolles allowed just one sack this season and Sutton has caught 18 of his 32 career touchdown passes since 2023, including a career-best 10 last season. This season, he caught a career-best 81 passes for 1,081 yards, earning the first 1,000-yard season by a Broncos receiver since he did it in 2019.

What both found lacking was the chance to prepare for a playoff game instead of cleaning out their lockers following the regular-season finale.

“It’s kind of hard to put into words the feeling,” Sutton said. “To be in that situation where we get a chance to extend our season one week at a time, it’s a really cool experience. It’s a really good feeling to just know that we have an opportunity to extend our season, to do something special and get this organization back on track to what it’s known for.”

Sutton motioned toward a wall where blown-up images of newspaper clippings show Miller celebrating his MVP performance in Super Bowl 50.

“You look on the wall and you see all of the success that this organization has had,” Sutton said. “For the past nine years, we haven’t held up our end of the bargain on the field. To be able to be in this spot where we get to continue this legacy of this season and to potentially do something special to get put up on this wall of past champions, it’s a humbling experience.”

Rookie Bo Nix, the 13th player to start at quarterback since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's retirement a month after winning Super Bowl 50, said it was sweet to see the veterans such as Bolles and Sutton celebrate a playoff berth at long last.

“That’s really what it comes down to. That’s all of it,” Nix said. “Those guys have worked really hard. They deserve it, and they owned it this year. It means a lot. You hate to see the work you do each year and kind of be a little short, but this year was not. Those two have led us really well this year. They’re going to continue to lead us.”