The Broncos may have to lean on their offense sooner and more often in 2026.
That’s the big takeaway if Denver’s defense comes back to earth after carrying so much of the load last season. The Broncos were one of the NFL’s best teams in 2025, but there are clear reasons to think a dip could be coming.
They’re bringing back 94 percent of the players who logged significant snaps - 300 or more - yet that doesn’t erase the fact that this was one of the league’s oldest rosters. A group that stayed healthy and productive one year isn’t guaranteed the same kind of runway the next.
That concern is part of why ESPN’s Bill Barnwell labeled Denver a regression candidate.
“This was the league's fifth-oldest team on a snap-weighted age basis a year ago, and I'd be a little concerned about some of those veterans getting worn down and staying healthy through a full 2026 season,” wrote ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who suggested that the Broncos are a prime regression candidate in 2026.
“I'm just not quite as confident that the Broncos will be a top-five unit in 2026, in part because of injuries and they weren't necessarily playing that way against starters down the stretch.”
The warning signs were there after Denver’s Week 11 bye. The defense wasn’t quite as sharp coming out of it, even though it did rebound against the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference Championship.
Looking ahead, that matters because the Broncos were already flirting with historic territory, nearly setting the single-season sack record. If that side of the ball backs up even a little, the offense can’t afford to wait around.
That’s where the pressure shifts to Denver’s attack.
The Broncos were at their best late in games last season. Once the fourth quarter arrived and they were trailing, the comeback feel was real.
They also went 9-2 in one-score games, which is the kind of edge that rarely repeats without some regression of its own. If those tight finishes don’t keep breaking Denver’s way, the offense has to create more separation earlier.
The addition of star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle should help with that. Waddle gives the Broncos another layer, especially working across the middle of the field - an area quarterback Bo Nix was reluctant to attack last season. That part matters, because the offense can’t be one-dimensional if the defense isn’t suffocating people every week.
Nix showed a different comfort level in his two drives against the Green Bay Packers this past weekend. He was more willing to challenge the middle of the field and hit Waddle on a 35-yard gain. Put Waddle alongside Courtland Sutton, and Denver suddenly has a more balanced passing game - one that could lift all three players and give the Broncos a better chance to control games before the fourth quarter turns into a rescue mission.
In Other News...
Broncos May Have A New Defensive Name Worth Watching
Vance Joseph has made a point of singling out Que Robinson as one of the Broncos defenders worth watching, and for good reason. The outside linebacker has shown enough progress in camp to draw praise not just from his coordinator, but also from teammate Nik Bonitto, who sees Robinson as someone with the tools to develop into a future starter.
For Denver, that kind of internal confidence matters because the pass rush has to keep getting younger and deeper without losing urgency. Robinson still has work to do before he becomes a fixture, but the early buzz suggests he is pushing his way into a bigger role, and that is the sort of camp development the Broncos would love to see continue into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Finally Have A WR Strength That Changes The AFC West
For years, the Broncos have been trying to find a receiver room that could keep up with the AFC West arms race, and this offseason finally gave them something that looks more like a legitimate answer. A recent division-wide look at wideouts put Denver in a much better light than the franchise has usually occupied, with Courtland Sutton still serving as the established veteran presence and Troy Franklin adding another layer to a group that no longer feels easy to dismiss.
That matters in a division where every roster seems to have at least one pass-catching threat worth game-planning for, from Kansas City to Los Angeles and beyond. Denver does not need to win the receiver debate on paper to change the conversation, but it does need enough production to make defenses pay attention, and this is the first time in a while that the Broncos can reasonably say their wideout room belongs in that discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Are Hinting At A Bigger Jaylen Waddle Role Than Expected
Jaylen Waddles first preseason appearance with the Broncos gave a quick glimpse of why Denver is already talking about him as more than a one-spot receiver. Offensive coordinator Davis Webb said Waddle will move around and work multiple receiver positions, and the debut backed up the idea with a 35-yard catch and run that stood out to both fans and coaches.
With the regular season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs approaching, Denver appears intent on finding ways to put Waddle in motion and keep defenses guessing. The bigger question now is how quickly that expanded role turns from preseason promise into a real part of the Broncos Week 1 plan. [Read more 🡒]