The Denver Broncos’ playoff run came to a grinding halt in the AFC Championship Game - and while the final score reads 10-7 in favor of the New England Patriots, the story behind it runs much deeper than three points.
With rookie quarterback Bo Nix sidelined by a season-ending ankle injury suffered in the Divisional Round, Denver turned to backup Jarrett Stidham to steer the ship. And while Stidham showed flashes of poise, two costly mistakes ultimately defined the game.
A fumble in the first half set up New England’s only touchdown, and an interception on the Broncos’ final drive sealed their fate. As Von Miller put it on his Free Range podcast, it happened at “the worst possible time.”
And that’s where the conversation turns to the big “what if.” What if Nix had been healthy? What if the Broncos had their rising young starter under center in the biggest game of their season?
Von Miller, who knows a thing or two about championship-caliber football, believes the answer is clear.
“The Denver Broncos are going to be the team [in 2026],” Miller said. “They’re riding that momentum like, ‘Dang, that should have been us.
We were this close. If we would have had our starting quarterback, we would have made it to the Super Bowl.’
And I think that is true.”
It’s hard to argue with that logic. Denver had been building something all season under Sean Payton’s leadership.
The defense was stout, the offense was finding its rhythm, and Nix was growing into his role as the franchise quarterback. Losing him just as the stakes hit their peak was a gut punch - and it showed.
But what Miller emphasized wasn’t just the loss. It was the fuel it provides.
“They're going to have to sit with that this offseason - and that's just going to fuel everybody,” he said.
That kind of near-miss can be a catalyst. And with Payton heading into his fourth year at the helm and Nix entering Year 3, there’s a sense that this team is just getting started.
The foundation is in place. The hunger is real.
And if the Broncos can carry that chip into training camp, they’ll be a dangerous group come fall.
Miller, never one to stay quiet about his love for Denver, also made it known he believes he could’ve made a difference in the game - particularly on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s game-winning scramble in the fourth quarter. The two-time Super Bowl champ, who’s set to hit free agency in March just before his 37th birthday, once again floated the idea of a return to the Mile High City.
Whether that reunion happens remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Broncos are no longer a team looking for direction. They’ve found their identity.
They’ve come within a possession of the Super Bowl. And now, with a healthy Bo Nix and a roster that knows what it takes to win in January, they’ll enter 2026 not just with hope - but with expectation.
It’s not just about what could’ve been. It’s about what still could be.