The Denver Broncos already gave their fan base one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2025, finishing with 14 wins. That run didn’t end the way they wanted, but it doesn’t change how strong the year looked for most of the ride.
Even with that success in the rearview mirror, plenty of people around the league are still looking at Denver and assuming another 14-win season is out of reach. It may not be easy to match 14-3 again - the margin for error gets thinner every year - but this roster is good enough to make it happen.
With OTAs and minicamps wrapped up across the NFL, here’s a full run-through of how the Broncos’ 2026 season could play out.
The schedule opens with a statement opportunity in Kansas City on Monday Night Football. Denver swept the Chiefs last year and came close at Arrowhead in 2024, when a game-winning field goal would have flipped the result. In this prediction, the Broncos start fast and leave with a 21-17 win.
Back in Denver in Week 2, the Jaguars come to town. Jacksonville beat the Broncos at home during the 2025 regular season, but losing Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd in free agency changes the picture. That one lands as a 24-20 Broncos win.
The first stumble comes in Week 3, when the Los Angeles Rams visit for Sunday Night Football. The matchup has the feel of a possible Super Bowl preview, and the Rams’ offseason additions make this a tough assignment even for Denver’s loaded roster. The Rams take it 27-20.
Denver bounces back in Week 4 at San Francisco. The 49ers are still a solid team, but the Broncos are judged to have the edge in roster quality, along with an advantage up front and possibly at quarterback.
The short trip also helps. Denver wins 23-16.
The next week brings an early divisional test in Los Angeles, and this one goes to the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh’s group is described as frisky, and even with Jesse Minter gone from the defensive staff, the Chargers are the ones who land the punch in a 24-23 finish.
A short week doesn’t slow the Broncos for long. Seattle comes to Denver for Thursday Night Football in Week 6, but the Seahawks are projected to take a step back after losing Kenneth Walker III and Riq Woolen in free agency. Denver gets one more play and wins 20-17.
The schedule softens in Week 7, and Arizona is treated like a near-certain win. The Broncos are expected to handle the Cardinals comfortably, even if the danger of a trap game hangs in the background. Denver rolls 30-16.
Then comes another Kansas City meeting, this time in Denver. The Broncos have beaten the Chiefs at home in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and that streak is projected to reach four straight with a 19-17 win.
A cross-country trip to Carolina follows in Week 9, and Denver is expected to take care of business there as well. The Panthers won eight games last year, and that’s not viewed as enough to threaten the Broncos. Denver goes into the bye at 7-2 after a 27-18 victory.
The bye arrives in Week 10, and the first game after it brings one of the more surprising calls on the slate. Las Vegas steals a 21-20 win in Denver in Week 11, with the Broncos dropping a divisional game they should not lose but do.
That loss doesn’t snowball. In Week 12, the Broncos go to Pittsburgh on Black Friday and beat the Steelers 24-17. Pittsburgh is still seen as a team that can make life annoying, but not one with Denver’s overall talent.
Week 13 brings Miami to Denver, and this is another game the Broncos are expected to control from start to finish. The Dolphins are labeled a bottom-3 team here, and Denver is forecast to put up points in a 33-13 win.
The Broncos keep moving in Week 14 at the Jets. Denver beat New York in both 2024 and 2025, and that trend continues with a 20-10 victory.
Week 15 at Las Vegas is another win for Denver, this time by a 27-16 margin. The Raiders are described as being in rebuild mode and not ready to keep up with the conference’s top teams.
Then comes the Christmas Day showdown with Buffalo in Denver. It’s a rematch of the AFC Divisional Round, and at 11-3 in these predictions, the Broncos are due for another loss - especially against a team like the Bills. Buffalo wins 24-17.
In Week 17, Denver faces New England in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos are said to have been in control there when Bo Nix was healthy, and if he’s available for this one, Denver should handle business again. That sets up a strong finish before the regular-season finale.
The final week brings another meeting with the Chargers, and this time Los Angeles is the team with more on the line, potentially playing for playoff seeding. Unlike the 2025 season finale, this one goes the other way. The Chargers sweep the Broncos with a win that drops Denver to 12-5 in these predictions.
In Other News...
Sean Payton Suddenly Has A Broncos QB Decision To Watch
The Broncos quarterback picture has become a little more interesting behind the scenes as Sean Payton and the staff sort out the backup job between Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger. Both are getting a look as they settle into Davis Webbs new offensive system, with the team also monitoring the health of the starter as he works his way back from a broken ankle.
What has made the competition worth watching is the way the two have looked in practice. Ehlinger has been noted for smoother offensive execution and some sneaky athleticism, while Stidham has had moments that have not helped his case, including turnovers. It is still early, but this is the kind of camp battle that can shift quickly, especially when a coach like Payton is trying to find the most reliable option if the position gets tested. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Keep Proving Their Undrafted Pipeline Is Part Of Their DNA
Denvers reputation for finding talent after the draft keeps getting reinforced, and the latest reminder came with Pro Football Focus building its 2026 All-Undrafted Team. The Broncos landed three veterans on the list, another nod to a franchise that has long squeezed real value out of overlooked players and turned that lane into part of its identity. From steady contributors to edge rushers who kept climbing, the organization has made undrafted success look less like an exception than a recurring theme.
That pipeline is still active heading into 2026, with Denver adding more undrafted help from the UFL and giving a fresh batch of rookies a chance to fight for roster spots. Dondrea Tillman, Jonathon Cooper and McMillian were all recognized by PFF, but the bigger story for the Broncos is that the room behind them keeps filling up. If even a couple of those newcomers stick, Denvers long-running habit of turning overlooked players into meaningful pieces may be alive and well again. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Built A Roster Good Enough To Create A New Problem
The Broncos have spent the last couple of years assembling a roster with real depth, using smart draft choices and targeted signings to turn the group into something sturdier than the usual rebuild. That success has come with a familiar consequence, though: more of the lineup now sits on meaningful contracts, and the front office is no longer just trying to add talent but figuring out how long it can keep all of it in place.
Next offseason could get crowded fast, with several important players heading toward free agency at the same time and a salary-cap squeeze looming just as Denver will need to make decisions about its young core. Bo Nix figures to be a priority for the club, which only raises the stakes, and it may force the Broncos to lean harder on recent draft picks and younger players to fill out spots they otherwise would have liked to keep intact. [Read more 🡒]