The 2015 Broncos defense, which won the Super Bowl despite shaky quarterback play throughout most of the year, was one of the best the league has seen in recent years. Safety T.J. Ward thinks the Denver defense can become one of the best of any year.
“There is no ceiling,” Ward said Monday at his charity golf tournament, via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. “We can be as good as we want to be. We can become the best defense of all time. That’s what we’re working toward.”
Part of the challenge in 2016 will be to adjust to the departure of defensive lineman Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan via free agency. The good news is that linebacker Von Miller has a new six-year contract.
“Von, he’s up to every challenge,” Ward said. “That’s the caliber of player that we expect him to be from here on now, and that’s why he got paid the way he did. He is a franchise player, and he is the face of this franchise.”
With five total sacks in the two most important games of the year, it’s a title Miller has earned. Whether the Broncos nail down the title of best defense ever will hinge on Miller and the rest of his teammates playing at an even higher level next year.