The Broncos are 4-2 through six games, and one of the biggest reasons their defense keeps humming is Zach Allen. The Denver pass rusher is putting together another dominant season, and once again he looks like the kind of player who can turn a strong year into an All-Pro finish without making it look complicated.
Allen has been wrecking game plans for three straight seasons now. He opened his Broncos tenure in 2023 with five sacks, 60 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits.
That was a solid debut. What followed was a step into a different tier.
In 2024, he posted 8.5 sacks, 61 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 40 QB hits, production that earned him second-team All-Pro honors.
Then came 2025, when Allen somehow climbed even higher. He finished with 47 QB hits, made the Pro Bowl, and landed first-team All-Pro recognition.
Now he’s at it again.
Through six games in 2026, Allen is on pace for 13 sacks, 60 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 45 QB hits. That would make this a career year by a wide margin, especially in the sack column, where he would blow past his previous best of 8.5 from 2024. His four tackles for loss through six games already match what he had across 2025, and his projected tackle and QB-hit totals would both sit near the top of his career marks as well.
There’s still a long way to go with 11 regular season games left, but the early signs are hard to ignore. Allen is tracking toward a season that could top even his first-team All-Pro campaign from last year. And if he gets to 40-plus QB hits for a third straight season, he’ll remain the only player in NFL history, alongside his former teammate JJ Watt, to do that.
Watt still owns the single-season QB-hit record at 51, and Allen got within four of that number last season. If a few matchups against weak offensive lines break the right way, that pace could move even higher.
The Broncos are getting more than just pass rush from him, too. Allen has also been a strong run defender this year, which only adds to how valuable he’s been. Denver’s decision to bring him in back in 2023, essentially in place of former Bronco Dre’Mont Jones, is looking like one of the best free-agent moves the franchise has ever made.
In Other News...
Broncos Defense Just Raised A Bigger Question About This Team
The Broncos left Seattle with a 17-14 win that looked far more like a defensive statement than a tidy offensive performance. Denver leaned on a unit that was active from start to finish, with Kris Abrams-Draine making a crucial interception, JaQuan McMillian turning in the kind of tackling and playmaking that keeps drives from getting comfortable, and the front line setting the tone under coordinator Vance Joseph.
Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto were central to the pressure plan, and the way Joseph deployed his pieces gave the Seahawks little room to settle in. The bigger question now is what this defense can become if it keeps winning games while the offense sorts itself out, because on this day the Broncos did not just survive on the strength of their defense, they leaned on it heavily enough to make you wonder how often that formula can hold. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Face A Jonathon Cooper Decision With Big Fallout Ahead
Jonathon Cooper has been around the Broncos throughout his time on the NFL commissioners exempt list, even if he has not been on the field. Sean Payton said Cooper completed the steps required by the league after his domestic violence-related arrests, and the veteran defender is now being cleared to rejoin Denver as it prepares for Arizona.
The next phase still carries real consequences, though. Coopers trial is set for March, and the time he spent on the exempt list will count toward any future NFL suspension, leaving the Broncos to balance his return with the uncertainty that remains hanging over the situation. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have A Backfield Problem They May Need To Solve Aggressively
The Broncos backfield has become one of the more obvious pressure points on a roster trying to push deeper into a championship window. Denvers running backs have struggled to give the offense much lift, and with the team still looking for ways to raise its ceiling, the idea of upgrading that spot has moved from a luxury to a real conversation.
One name that naturally comes up is Jonathan Taylor, especially if Indianapolis decides to start making major moves. A trade for a player of his caliber would not be cheap, and Denver would have to weigh the draft compensation against the kind of immediate impact he could bring. The bigger question may be whether the Broncos are willing to be aggressive enough to address the problem before it becomes a season-long limitation. [Read more 🡒]