The Broncos have earned their place among the NFL’s top Super Bowl picks heading into 2026, and it’s not hard to see why. They came within striking distance of the big game last season, even after being forced to turn to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the AFC Championship Game. They also kept most of the roster intact and added Jaylen Waddle to the receiver room in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Still, there’s a real case for pumping the brakes a little. Denver looks dangerous, but the path in front of it is loaded with obstacles.
Start with the AFC West. The Broncos won the division last season and became the first team besides the Chiefs to do it since 2015, but that came in a year when Kansas City was down and Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury.
The Chargers pushed Denver for most of the year and beat them in the only head-to-head meeting where both teams were playing to win. The Raiders, as the source put it, were the Raiders.
That division figures to be a lot less forgiving in 2026. The Raiders are still the Raiders, though they’re also described as a team on the rise.
The Chiefs get Mahomes back, Andy Reid remains on the sideline, and there’s plenty of motivation in Kansas City. The Chargers should still be strong, and the addition of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator could matter.
Repeating as division champs will not be simple.
There’s also the matter of how Denver won so many close games. The Broncos went 11-2 in one-score games last season, tying an NFL record for a single season.
That kind of run can look like clutch DNA, or it can look like the kind of break-heavy stretch that rarely lasts forever. The Chiefs offer the clearest warning sign: they went 12-0 in one-score games in 2024, including the postseason, then dropped to 1-9 in those same situations last season.
Then comes the schedule. As the defending AFC West champions, the Broncos draw a first-place slate in 2026, and the first six games are described as brutal. It’s the kind of opening stretch that can make even a confident fan base rethink the ceiling, no matter how good the roster looks on paper.
And finally, there’s Bo Nix. The ankle he broke in the divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills last season has been downplayed all summer, and the expectation is that he’ll be ready for Week 1. Even so, Sean Payton’s own words hang over the situation, and the question remains whether it could turn into something that lingers.
In Other News...
Three Broncos Camp Battles Could Shape Denver's Next Step
With training camp set to open July 28, the Broncos are heading into one of those stretches where a few seemingly modest roster questions could end up shaping the bigger picture. Coming off their AFC Championship Game run, Denver does not lack for attention at the top of the roster, but the next layer matters too, especially with J.K. Dobbins established and the staff sorting out who fits best behind him in the backfield.
The same kind of competition is playing out on both sides of the ball. Denver has to find a way to replace John Franklin-Myers production up front, with Eyioma Uwazurike, Sai'vion Jones and Tyler Onyedim all in the mix, while the receiver group still has to settle on a clear WR3 behind Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Troy Franklin looks like the natural answer, but Pat Bryant has given the Broncos a different type of option, and camp should tell them plenty about which of these battles is real depth and which one becomes a defining role. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Defense Looks Set Except For One Uncomfortable Camp Question
With rookies reporting July 22 and veterans set to follow on July 28, the Broncos are close enough to camp to start sketching out what their defense should look like. Most of the unit feels fairly settled on paper, from a secondary that should again rank among the leagues better groups to a front that has enough established pieces to give Denver a clear baseline as the summer begins.
The one uncomfortable question sits at defensive end, where the open starting job could go to Eyioma Uwazurike but is still very much up for grabs. Inside linebacker is another spot worth watching, with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad projected to open as the starters even as the position remains a major question mark, and there are also contract situations around the defensive backfield that add a little extra long-term uncertainty to an otherwise sturdy-looking group. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Rookie Is Suddenly Fueling A Familiar Draft Debate
Jonah Coleman is arriving in Denver with a path to real playing time already in view, even if he begins training camp behind J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey on the Broncos running back depth chart. The rookie has drawn praise for his versatility, with evaluators pointing to the kind of all-around skill set that can help in pass protection and in short-yardage spots, and Denver intends to work him into the rotation as the summer unfolds.
There is also a little extra draft-day intrigue hanging over Colemans first NFL season, the kind that tends to linger when a player lands in a place that once looked like a natural fit. The Broncos see a useful piece they can deploy based on game flow and health, but the larger question is whether Coleman can turn that early role into something bigger and give the team a reason to revisit how the board unfolded. [Read more 🡒]