The Broncos won’t have to wait long to find out where they stand. Training camp gets rolling in earnest on July 28, when the veterans report, and Denver’s first major test comes right away against the Chiefs, a team that stumbled to a 6-11 finish and third place in the AFC West last season.
For the Broncos, the assignment is clear: deal with the two biggest names on Kansas City’s side and do it fast. That starts with Patrick Mahomes, who will face Denver in Week 1 and again in Week 8. The former two-time MVP has spent the last nine years tormenting the AFC, and his game still revolves around the same things that have made him such a nightmare for defenses - off-script magic, a huge arm, and the kind of mobility that turns broken plays into back-breaking ones.
Mahomes and Andy Reid have been a problem for Denver for nearly a decade, and plenty of Mahomes’ most memorable highlights have come against the Broncos. That history is part of what makes this matchup feel so familiar. It also explains why Denver will need a sharp, aggressive plan if it wants to keep control of the AFC West.
There is, of course, one major wrinkle: Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in the final minutes of Week 15 last season, leaving his Week 1 availability uncertain. He was throwing passes during voluntary workouts earlier this summer and is said to be ahead of schedule, but if he does suit up, he may not have his usual burst. Even then, Denver can’t afford to let him settle in.
The Broncos’ path is to make Mahomes uncomfortable from the jump. If he’s on the field, the defense needs to hit him with pressure, force him off his spot, and make him process everything faster than he wants to.
Coming off a multi-ligament tear, he’ll be trying to extend plays on a bad knee, and Denver’s pass rush and blitz looks have to turn that into a problem. The goal is simple: make him move, make him think, and make Kansas City’s offense grind.
On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs still have a real problem-maker in Chris Jones. He may not be as overwhelming as he once was, but he remains a major force and one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen. Over his 10-year career, Jones has piled up 87.5 sacks, 339 tackles, and 13 forced fumbles, and he still has the kind of power that can wreck a pocket by himself.
That said, Kansas City’s defensive line beyond Jones is not especially intimidating. Khyiris Tonga was a solid free-agent pickup, but George Karlaftis, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and Ashton Gillotte are described as largely unimpressive. That matters for Denver, because the Broncos’ offensive line has been dominant enough to help neutralize Jones with double teams without having to worry too much about another rusher taking over the game.
Jones is still dangerous, but Denver has a real shot to contain him if its interior line holds up. If the Broncos can keep Mahomes under pressure and keep Jones from taking over up front, they’ll put themselves in position to sweep the Chiefs for the second straight year and deal a serious blow to Kansas City’s playoff hopes.
In Other News...
Riley Moss Is Forcing A Broncos Decision They Cant Ignore
Riley Moss has gone from promising depth piece to one of the Broncos most important defensive answers since earning a starting job in 2024. His play on the outside has given Denver something it has long needed, a reliable No. 2 corner who can hold up against NFL receivers and create the kind of disruptive moments that change games.
That kind of production does not stay cheap for long, especially at a premium position, and Moss is already moving into the class of corners who can force a front office to think ahead. Denver has to weigh what it wants the secondary to look like beyond this season, with Moss not set to reach free agency until 2027 and the future shape of the room tied to how the younger pieces behind him develop. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Just Got Dragged Into A Wild NFL Scenario Again
CBS Sports writer Carter Bahns took a World Cup-style swing at the NFL calendar, dividing the league into groups and then running a full knockout bracket through the season. In that alternate setup, the Broncos came out of group play on top, handled a Round of 16 game, and kept themselves in the mix long enough to make the format feel a little too real for comfort.
Denvers path in the simulation included a tight knockout win over the 49ers before the run ended in the quarterfinals, which is exactly the sort of what-if that can make a fan think twice about how much a single matchup can change in a tournament setting. Bahns exercise ultimately had the Rams lifting the trophy, but the Broncos place in the bracket was enough to make the whole idea feel like more than a gimmick. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Waddle Just Sent A Strong Message About Denver's Receivers
Jaylen Waddles arrival in Denver has already started to change the conversation around the Broncos passing game. During offseason practices, the former Dolphins receiver has been upbeat about what he has seen from the wideout room, and that matters for a team trying to build more than just a deeper rotation. A receiver of Waddles caliber does not just add speed and separation, he also raises the standard for everyone lining up around him.
Courtland Sutton is part of the appeal, too, because the Broncos now have the kind of top-end talent that can make a defense pick its poison. Waddle has clearly noticed the chemistry in the room, and the early signs suggest Denvers offense may be getting a much cleaner fit than most outside observers expected. The real question now is how quickly that connection turns from offseason optimism into something the Broncos can lean on when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]