Patrick Surtain II needed only a few words to set off a wave of reactions from his Denver Broncos teammates.
“Year 6 of them thangs!” Surtain wrote on Instagram on August 29 alongside a collection of photos from Broncos training camp.
Several Denver players quickly showed up in the comments, and some of their responses were considerably more ambitious than Surtain’s understated caption.
Riley Moss wrote, “If not us then who,” while another verified account belonging to Surtain’s father, former NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain, responded, “BEST YEAR YET.”
Rookie running back Jonah Coleman dropped a pair of fire emojis, while defensive lineman Zach Allen added three. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle wrote simply, “Trim” with a fire emoji.
Linebacker Nik Bonitto and former Broncos safety Justin Simmons also responded with emojis or short messages.
Taken together, the comments read less like a ceremonial acknowledgment of Surtain entering another season and more like a group of teammates anticipating what Denver could accomplish next.
Riley Moss’ Message Captures Broncos’ 2026 Expectations
Moss’ “If not us then who” response is especially notable considering where the Broncos are entering the season.
Denver won its first division championship in a decade in 2025 and advanced to the AFC Championship Game. When organized team activities began this year, Surtain made clear that the Broncos were not interested in treating last season as a finish line.
“It’s a new year,” Surtain said in June while relaying a message from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. “Whatever we did last year doesn’t matter now. It’s a new slate.”
Surtain added that other teams would improve and Denver had to “find a way to get better than we were last year.”
That makes Moss’ comment particularly fitting. Denver is no longer entering a season merely trying to end a playoff drought or prove it belongs among AFC contenders. The Broncos now have to follow up a deep postseason run.
And much of that responsibility again falls on a secondary led by Surtain.
Patrick Surtain Remains Centerpiece of Broncos Defense
Surtain enters Year 6 as one of the most decorated players on Denver’s roster.
He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He also served as a team captain in each of the previous two seasons.
Denver’s secondary helped allow just 187.2 passing yards per game in 2025, seventh fewest in the NFL, while opponents averaged a league-low 4.8 net passing yards per attempt. The Broncos also held opponents without a touchdown five times, the most such games in the league.
Joseph nevertheless entered this season looking for another jump, including more takeaways from a defense that already established a high standard.
That helps explain why Surtain’s Instagram post resonated with teammates.
“Year 6” could have been nothing more than a personal milestone. Instead, the reaction around it reflected the broader mentality surrounding a Broncos team that believes there is still another level to reach.
Surtain himself has repeatedly sounded the same note.
As Denver opened its new training facility in July, he acknowledged how much had changed since he arrived in 2021. Now one of the longest-tenured foundational players on the roster, Surtain enters his sixth year with expectations far different from those surrounding the franchise at the beginning of his career.
And judging by the messages underneath his latest post, his teammates are not hiding what they believe Year 6 can become.
Denver Broncos Sound Off After Patrick Surtain II’s Social Media Message