The Broncos didn’t have to do anything to gain a little ground in Week 1. They just had to watch the Los Angeles Chargers trip over the most manageable part of their schedule.
Denver opens the 2026 NFL season against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, and while the Broncos are still waiting on their own spotlight game, they got a useful result elsewhere. The Chargers were upset at home by the Arizona Cardinals, and for Denver, that was the kind of early-season swing that can matter later.
That result stands out even more when you look back at what Denver just did in 2025. Every win carried real weight, because one more loss would have dropped the Broncos from the No. 1 playoff seed to No.
- That 14-3 finish was the difference in the race for the top spot.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, came out of Week 1 looking flat. It was a home loss, which only made it worse, and it came against a Cardinals team described as one of the worst in football. The Chargers had won 22 regular-season games since the start of the 2024 season, but they still couldn’t handle what was supposed to be their easiest opponent over the first 10 weeks.
And that’s where this gets interesting for Denver. The Chargers’ schedule is no joke, and the Cardinals were the softest matchup they had in that opening stretch. Now there’s a real possibility that Los Angeles could be sitting on a losing record by the time its Week 7 bye arrives.
The Broncos have heard plenty about the challenge in their own first six games, but the Chargers suddenly have their own problems. They should beat the Raiders, but beyond that, it’s tough to look at the next stretch and see many easy answers.
There’s also the added wrinkle that the Harbaugh-era Chargers have usually had the upper hand on Sean Payton’s Broncos. Still, with Los Angeles working with two new coordinators, there’s at least a path to regression. The 2024 Lions went 15-2, lost both coordinators to head coaching jobs, then slipped to 9-8 in 2025 and missed the playoffs.
If the Chargers can’t settle in quickly, this Week 1 loss could end up looking a lot bigger than it does right now.
In Other News...
Sean Payton May Unleash Denver's New Weapon At Perfect Time
The Broncos spent the offseason making a real swing for speed, landing Jaylen Waddle from Miami in a March trade that cost them first- and third-round draft picks. Now the focus shifts to how Sean Payton folds him into an offense that needs to come out sharp right away, with Kansas City waiting in the regular-season opener and plenty of intrigue on both sides.
Payton said the challenge is less about the talent and more about getting the timing right as Denver introduces a key new piece into the mix. With several fresh faces on both rosters, the opener should create some unscouted wrinkles for both coaching staffs, and the Broncos will be hoping Waddle can become one of the biggest ones before the Chiefs can adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Taylor Rapp Has A Chance To Matter For Denver Fast
Taylor Rapps path back to Denver has been quick and a little unusual, but it has also put him in position to make an immediate case for a bigger role. The Broncos brought him in on a one-year veteran minimum deal after he stood out in a workout, then had to release him because of a personal matter before bringing him back onto the practice squad. For a team always looking to add dependable help in the back end, that kind of fast second look says plenty.
Sean Payton has already addressed where Rapp fits and what the Broncos think he can offer, which makes this one worth watching closely as camp and roster decisions keep moving. Rapp now has a chance to turn a short stay into something more meaningful, and Denvers safety situation could make the opening for him come sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Defensive Line Battle Is Bringing One Name Into Focus
Eyioma Uwazurike is heading into his fourth NFL season with the Broncos, and the expectation around him is changing as the defensive line takes shape for 2026. He has talked about how much the trust of teammates such as Zach Allen, D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach has meant to him, pointing to the chemistry along that front as a real part of his growth.
For Denver, that kind of buy-in matters because the line has to function as more than a collection of individual pieces. Uwazurikes role is set to grow, and the way he fits into that group will be one of the quieter developments worth watching as the Broncos keep sorting out their defensive identity. [Read more 🡒]