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The Denver Broncos took control of the AFC West, which had previously been dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs, last season. While the Chiefs faltered, the Broncos surged to the top of the division and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Unfortunately, an injury to quarterback Bo Nix sidelined him for the AFC Championship Game, and the Broncos were beaten by the New England Patriots with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Now, Denver’s offseason has been focused on keeping their roster intact so it can get back to that point this fall.
However, there is one thing that could hold them back. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr pointed to Denver’s schedule as something that could stand in the way of its push to a title this fall.
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“The Broncos are probably the most bulletproof-looking ‘on the doorstep’ team of the past few years, though their schedule does raise some red flags at this point in the summer,” Orr wrote.
On paper, the Broncos have one of the toughest schedules in all of football. After going on the road to play what should be an improved Chiefs squad in Week 1, the Broncos don’t play another team that missed the playoffs a year ago until a Week 7 clash with the Arizona Cardinals.
Overall, Denver’s schedule includes games against the NFC West, which is thought by many to be the best division in the NFL coming into this season. Sean Payton and company also play the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Another talking point for Denver’s doubters will be the amount of close games that it won a year ago. Its 11 wins in one-score games tied an NFL record and is usually a sign of regression the following season, which is a valid concern.
On the flip side, the Broncos have retained all of their key players from a season ago while adding the explosive Jaylen Waddle on the outside. With that amount of continuity on the roster, this team should comfortably find itself in the thick of the AFC playoff race again in 2026.
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