Marvin Mims Details How 'Times Are Changing' for Broncos

Buoyed by a Hall of Fame-caliber coach and budding franchise quarterback — with an elite defense sprinkled on top for good measure — the Denver Broncos have legitimate playoff expectations for the first time since Peyton Manning hung up his legendary cleats.

After nearly a decade of ineptitude and irrelevancy, these are no longer the Same Old Broncos you grew to hate on Sundays.

“You can really feel that the times are changing for us,” wide receiver Marvin Mims said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via Pro Football Talk. “People always like to say a “win now” mode. With the way things went last year — we were projected to be last in the league last year and wound up making the wild card. Guys that were here last year, they believe. The guys that are coming in, they want to make an impact too. I think everyone’s hungry.”

Mims mentioned that Denver's returning cast "knows what it takes" to reach the postseason and pointed to marquee free-agent signings Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga — both of whom made Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers — as experienced additions who will aid the cause.

However, Mims himself may be just as integral, given his dual contributions to the Broncos' offense and special teams unit. Coming off his second-career Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, the do-it-all receiver was recently named by ESPN as the NFL's best "gadget" weapon.

“Thinking about the classic idea of an undersized gadget player who moves around the formation to thrive, catches all kinds of passes near the line of scrimmage and creates big plays with the ball in his hands, Mims comes to mind," ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote on June 19. "Like many gadget players from years past, he adds value on special teams: He was the league's first-team All-Pro return man in 2024, averaging an NFL-best 15.7 yards per punt return.

"As a receiver, though, Mims was plenty valuable in his own role. After using him primarily on the outside as a rookie, coach Sean Payton moved him around more often in 2024. Mims averaged just 0.8 yards per route run on the outside last season, but that jumped to a whopping 5.5 yards per route run out of the slot and in the backfield, as he proved to be an interesting player when lined up next to Bo Nix."

Mims finished his electric 2024 campaign by catching two passes amid Denver's Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Though the result was anticlimactic, it marked the inaugural taste of mid-January football for Mims and many of his teammates.

And now their appetite is insatiable.