Former New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker has said that he is enjoying the relaxed atmosphere at the Denver Broncos.

The 32-year-old, who joined the Broncos earlier this year, was once benched while at the Patriots for discussing New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan in a press conference.

Welker told Yahoo! Sports: "I feel like I can be myself a little more for sure.

"Wherever you can pull any sort of motivation that you need to use to go out there and play the way you need to play, I say use it.

"[Patriots quarterback Tom Brady] was upset about it, and part of me was a little upset about it too. But things happen for a reason, and I'm excited about the opportunities here and the type of team we have and things that we can do."

Welker spent six seasons with the Patriots, having had stints with the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers earlier in his career.