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Jon Gruden is backing the Denver Broncos going into the 2026 NFL season.
During an appearance on "Wake Up Barstool," Gruden picked the Broncos to win the AFC West this fall.
"I'm gonna pick Denver, just because of the continuity — head coach, quarterback. Almost all of their starters are back on both sides of the ball, and they're going to get a jolt from [Jaylen] Waddle."
Behind the Broncos, Gruden projected the Los Angeles Chargers to finish second in the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs to finish third. "I think all three of those teams can be playoff teams," he said.
As for the Las Vegas Raiders, Gruden expects his old team to improve but not leapfrog the "very tough" teams in their division with established coaches and quarterbacks.
Denver won the AFC West and clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference last year after going 14-3 in the regular season. With quarterback Bo Nix now recovered from his broken ankle, the Broncos will look to make another deep playoff run after reaching the AFC title game last season.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Ex-NFL coach Jon Gruden picks Broncos to win AFC West in 2026
