The Denver Broncos open their 2026 schedule with a brutal first six games, and the Week 4 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers stands out for one simple reason: San Francisco brings too many weapons to ignore. Kyle Shanahan’s team is loaded with veterans who have already been through the postseason grind, and the Broncos will have to be sharp on both sides of the ball to come out of that one in good shape.
The headliners are easy to spot. Christian McCaffrey remains the kind of offensive problem that keeps defensive coordinators up at night.
He can beat you on the ground, he can beat you as a receiver, and in Shanahan’s system that versatility becomes even more dangerous. McCaffrey has piled up 3,609 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns in San Francisco, and in 2025 he was the engine of the offense with 2,126 total yards and 17 touchdowns.
Denver’s answer starts with linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, both of whom were brought back this offseason. Singleton’s physical style will matter if the Broncos want to make McCaffrey feel every touch, while Strnad’s coverage ability will be tested when McCaffrey leaks out of the backfield.
San Francisco’s biggest offseason addition brings another major headache. Mike Evans, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl receiver, gives the 49ers a true X-receiver with rare production.
He has 13,052 career yards and 108 touchdowns, and his streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons tied Jerry Rice. Even at 33 by the start of the 2026 season, Evans gives San Francisco a pass-catching threat that can change the shape of a game.
The Broncos have already shown one way to deal with him: Patrick Surtain II held Evans to two catches for 17 yards in their last meeting with Tampa Bay. Surtian is in his prime and should be able to handle Evans just as he did two years ago.
Then there’s the backbone of the 49ers’ defense. Fred Warner is described as the best linebacker in the NFL, and his value comes from doing everything well.
He can diagnose plays, cover ground, and impact both the run and pass game. Warner missed significant time in 2025 because of a fractured ankle, but there’s no expectation that he’ll have lost much.
On the edge, Nick Bosa is still the kind of rusher offenses have to account for snap after snap. He missed time in 2025 after an ACL tear in Week 3, but his résumé is still intimidating: 64.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles in seven years.
If Denver wants to handle that side of the matchup, the Broncos’ best route is to lean into what they already do best up front. They have the best offensive line in the NFL, and that group will need to set the tone.
The ground game has to matter, especially with new offensive coordinator and play-caller Davis Webb in the mix. Denver has the personnel to make it work with veteran J.K Dobbins, second-year RJ Harvey, and rookie Jonah Coleman forming a “three-headed monster.”
When the run game is rolling, it can wear down even elite defenses, and Dobbins, when healthy, gives the Broncos a strong lead option.
That approach also serves a bigger purpose. Making Bosa and Warner honor the run can ease the load on Bo Nix and open up the play-action and roll-out game he’s comfortable with. With Denver’s offensive line and willing blockers at wide receiver and tight end, there’s a real path for the Broncos to control stretches of the game on the ground.
San Francisco is still one of the NFC’s toughest teams, and the Broncos have their hands full. But the blueprint is clear: slow down McCaffrey and Evans on defense, then use the run game to make life harder for Bosa and Warner. If Denver does that, Week 4 doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
In Other News...
Hakeem Butler Is Giving Broncos Fans A Roster Battle To Watch
Hakeem Butler has given Broncos training camp an early jolt, flashing the kind of downfield ability that can turn a practice rep into a talking point. The wide receiver came to Denver after a standout run in the UFL and arrived with some NFL pedigree too, having once been a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals. For a team always looking for cheap upside at receiver, Butlers size and playmaking have made him one of the more interesting names on the field.
The challenge, of course, is that Denvers receiver room is crowded enough that impressive moments only go so far. Butler is trying to force his way into a rotation that already has established competition, and the first days of camp are really about putting his name in the conversation. For now, he has done that much, and the rest of August will decide whether those flashes become something more than a camp story. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Fans Can See The Stefon Diggs Debate Coming
The Broncos spent the offseason trying to clean up one of the biggest issues in their passing game, trading for Jaylen Waddle after a year in which they had the second-most drops in the NFL. It was the kind of move meant to steady a receiver room that has too often made life harder on the offense than it needs to be, especially with the franchise entering a critical phase for 2026.
Even so, the Stefon Diggs conversation is already starting to take shape around the team. Diggs is still available in free agency, and the appeal for Denver is obvious: he would add another proven target and potentially keep a high-end receiver from landing with an AFC West rival. Whether the Broncos are actually in on him or just watching the market closely, it is the sort of debate that is going to linger until the roster picture becomes clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Add A New Cornerback As Camp Competition Heats Up
With training camp approaching, the Broncos are still making small but meaningful moves to shore up the back end of the roster. Denver added cornerback Sam Webb, bringing in a defender with previous NFL stops in Cleveland, Las Vegas, Carolina and Tennessee as the team looks to sort out its depth before the competition really ramps up.
Blake Cottons time in the mix is ending almost as quickly, with the rookie cornerback headed for a waiver move tied to an injury settlement. It leaves the Broncos continuing to churn the position group, a reminder that camp battles often start well before the first practice in pads and can change in a hurry once injuries enter the picture. [Read more 🡒]