I’ve gone through so many different coaches … and so many different quarterbacks, but to be in this moment … it’s the sweetest.”

Garett Bolles spoke from the bottom of a hole deeper than the 50-point loss his team had just suffered. The veteran offensive lineman couldn’t hold in bubbling frustration as his seventh professional season started with a third straight defeat,

The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

It’s been a Von time coming. “I love him dearly. I think the world of him,” Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles said with a grin Sunday after Denver’s playoff-clinching curb-stomping of the Kansas City Chiefs when asked about a reunion with Bills pass-rusher and Broncos legend Von Miller next Sunday.

The prospect of facing a rookie quarterback in his first playoff game normally would be a lick-their-chops moment for opposing pass rushers. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, however, has succeeded this season where so many other rookies who scramble their way into sacks fail.

Bo Nix is the 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning retired and became the first since then to lead Denver to the playoffs.

The last time the Denver Broncos played in a playoff game, Von Miller took home Super Bowl MVP honors after totaling 2.5 sacks and forcing two fumbles in a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Nine years later, the Broncos have now returned to the postseason and they are set to play against the Buffalo Bills — and Von Miller.

The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs after nine years, and fans across Colorado are preparing for a road matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

He’s one of the best left tackles in the league,” Von Miller said of former teammate Garett Bolles, who he will face on Sunday.

Vele has been one of the NFL’s most surprising stories this season. The former Ute was selected in the final round of the 2024 NFL draft, but has turned into one of Nix’s most reliable receivers. Vele has the third-most receptions on the team (41) for 475 yards and three touchdowns.

Receiver Emmanuel Sanders won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015 with Gary Kubiak, whose stern-father leadership blended perfectly with an experienced team. Sanders played for Payton on the Saints in 2020, which marked the coach’s last postseason appearance when he knocked out the Bears and lost to the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers.

Von Miller will live his full circle moment when the Buffalo Bills play the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. The 35-year-old began his career with the Broncos, leading them to a victory in Super Bowl 50 and being the game’s MVP.