Denver Broncos face mixed outlooks for 2026 season

The Denver Broncos face varying outlooks for the 2026 season following a highly successful 2025 campaign. Last season, the team tied a franchise record with a 14-3 record, won the AFC West, secured the No. 1 playoff seed, and reached the AFC championship game before an injury to quarterback Bo Nix ended their run.

Projections for the upcoming season show a range of possibilities. An ESPN simulation produced a low-end scenario where the team finishes 7-10, potentially tying with the Las Vegas Raiders for the bottom of the AFC West. However, the average projection from thousands of simulations suggests a more positive outcome of approximately 9.2 wins.

Despite a challenging first-eight-game schedule due to divisional rotations, some analysts argue the roster is stronger than the previous year's squad as the team builds on its recent playoff experience.