The Broncos have missed the playoffs eight straight seasons. Fullback Michael Burton figures they will put the kibosh on that drought.

“I wholeheartedly believe that we will be playing in the playoffs next year,” Burton said in a phone interview with The Denver Gazette.

With that in mind, Burton wants to be around to experience it. He will become a free agent in March and has no doubts about wanting to re-sign with Denver.

“Absolutely,” said Burton, who last March signed a one-year deal worth $1.317 million. “I definitely hope to be back. I would love to play for Coach (Sean) Payton and the entire offensive staff and be part of this organization and be part of this culture.”

It would seem to be a no-brainer for the Broncos retain Burton, who turns 32 on Feb. 1. He was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 1 fullback in the NFL in 2023 and was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

If all goes according to plan, Burton expects to be suited up for Denver in a playoff game next January.

“Absolutely, with the culture, the coaches and the talent on the team,” he said. “I think we showed by winning five games in a row (at midseason), beating some good teams, that we were right there. We just need to finish a little bit better. … So, we’ll finish a little bit better, and we’ll be playing in the playoffs next year, for sure.”

The Broncos started the season 1-5 before winning five straight to get to 6-5. But they lost four of their last six games to finish 8-9, their seventh straight losing season.

In their final victory, Burton was a major figure on a pivotal play. In a 16-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, Burton had several key blocks as he ran downfield to help spring Lil’Jordan Humphrey for a 54-yard touchdown reception from Jarrett Stidham for a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.

Payton called it a “special play.” Stidham called it an “incredible play” and said Burton regularly runs “80 yards down the field just about every play” in practices.

“Coach Payton always asks, ‘What kind of player are you away from the ball?'” Burton said. “That’s one thing that he preached: ‘Do you run to the football? Do you make downfield blocks that can lead to big conversions?'”

Plays like that helped Burton become the league’s top-rated fullback, according to Pro Football Focus. He had an overall rating of 64.2 in 2023 to finish ahead of Baltimore’s Patrick Ricard (62.1) and Minnesota’s C.J. Ham (57.6).

“Whenever you’re getting ranked as a competitor, you want to be number one, so it’s definitely cool to see that,” Burton said.

Burton said the ranking wouldn’t have been possible without his coaches and teammates. He said he pays the most attention to the evaluation he gets from coaches.

Burton played well enough in 2023 that Payton used him for 17.6% of the offensive snaps and 62.8% on special teams. While 17.6% might not seem a lot, consider Burton played just 6.2% of the snaps in 2022 with the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs and that the fullback has been deemphasized in the NFL in recent years.

More teams don’t have a fullback now than do. But Payton always has wanted one.

“I can’t say enough about how thankful I am to have one of the coaches left that still believes in carrying a fullback,” Burton said. “I think it’s my job to instill that trust in the coach and when you go out there, you provide value.”

Burton did that in his first Denver season. Now he hopes to do it for a playoff-bound Broncos team.

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WHAT I’M THINKING

—Calvin Johnson, who holds the NFL record with 1,964 yards receiving in a 16-game season of 2012, said on “The Jim Rome Show” that if the record is broken in a 17-game season it should carry an asterisk. If that were the case, then Johnson, who averaged 122.8 yards per game, already should have an asterisk on his mark.

Houston’s Charley Hennigan averaged 124.7 yards per game while piling up 1,746 in a 14-game season in 1961 and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch of the Los Angeles Rams averaged 124.6 while accumulating 1,495 yards in a 12-game season in 1951. The NFL per-game high mark is 129.0 by San Diego’s Wes Chandler in 1982. But since he got his 1,032 yards by playing in eight games of a nine-game, strike-shortened season, that one deserves an asterisk.

—My definition of a dynasty is simple: Win three championships or more during a period in which all other teams combined didn’t win as many. So, a Chiefs triumph in Super Bowl LVIII would make it three titles in five years and would classify as a dynasty. As for the NFL’s last dynasty, it was New England hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy three of five times between the 2014-18 seasons.

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WHAT I’M HEARING

—Don’t count on defensive back K’Waun Williams re-signing with the Broncos when he becomes a free agent in March. While Williams, 32, missed the entire 2023 season due to ankle surgery, Ja’Quan McMillian emerged as his replacement at nickel back and looks to have a bright future. Williams said he mostly is concerned with getting healthy before he evaluates where he might play in 2024.

—Veteran tackle Cam Fleming, bound for free agency after three seasons with Denver, has been vocal about wanting to return for a fourth. He’s even talking as if he’ll continue to be part of the team. With Fleming having started at right tackle in place of an injured Mike McGlinchey at Las Vegas in the finale, he was asked about the Broncos giving up five sacks and rushing for just 48 yards in the 27-14 loss. “Obviously, there’s a lot of things we need to fix in the offseason,’’ he said.

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WHAT I’M SEEING

—The Broncos’ special teams improved in 2023 under coordinator Ben Kotwica and assistant head coach Mike Westhoff, one of the best special-teams teachers ever. Playing key roles were rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who averaged 16.4 yards on punt returns and 26.5 on kickoff returns and made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner, and kicker Wil Lutz, who drilled 30 of 34 field-goal attempts. The Broncos were rated No. 7 among the 32 NFL teams in analyst Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings.

—When Wade Phillips takes the field in March at age 76 to coach the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League, he already will be assured of being the oldest coach in pro football history. Phillips, a former Broncos head coach and defensive coordinator who turns 77 in June, hasn’t ruled out coaching until he’s 80. In the four major pro sports, the only skippers to have made it to 80 were baseball managers Connie Mack, who headed the Philadelphia Athletics at 87 in 1950, and Jack McKeon, who led the Florida Marlins at 80 in 2011.

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THE LIST

—With San Francisco defeating Green Bay 24-21 on Saturday to advance to the NFC Championship Game, running back Christian McCaffrey moved closer to becoming part of an eighth pairing of a father and son both having won Super Bowl rings. Wide receiver Ed McCaffery won with the 49ers in the 1994 season and with the Broncos in 1997 and 1998. Here’s a look at the seven fathers and sons to have both won rings, with two of the combinations having Denver connections:

—Quarterback Bob Griese (Miami 1972, 1973 seasons) and quarterback Brian Griese (Broncos 1998*).

—Punter Craig Colquitt (Pittsburgh 1978, 1979) and punter Britton Colquitt (Broncos 2015) and punter Dustin Colquitt (Kansas City 2019).

—Offensive lineman Bruce Davis (Raiders 1980, 1983) and linebacker Bruce Davis (Pittsburgh 2008*).

—Safety Ronnie Lott (San Francisco 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989) and linebacker Ryan Nece (Tampa Bay 2002*).

—Defensive end Howie Long (Raiders 1983) and defensive end Chris Long (New England 2016, Philadelphia 2017).

—Tight end Emery Moorehead (Chicago 1985) and wide receiver Aaron Moorehead (Indianapolis 2006).

—Linebacker Steve DeOssie (Giants 1990) and linebacker Zak DeOssie (Giants 2007, 2011).

*On roster but did not play in Super Bowl.