Even though the Denver Broncos were a Bo Nix injury away from realistically becoming Super Bowl champions last year, Sean Payton's team seems to have been cast aside as a favorite ahead of the 2026 NFL season in favor of a fleet of NFC West teams and, for some reason, the Buffalo Bills.
But these Broncos still have championship DNA, and they have several of the alleged frontrunners on their schedule this fall, which will allow them to change the narrative. What if we could mesh timelines, though, and wholly seal Denver's fate as Super Bowl winners with the addition of a franchise legend?
Okay, we may actually just be able to use our imagination here. So, let's do that. Given that this team doesn't have many holes, it was a difficult exercise to hone in on one Broncos great who could tip the scales and assuredly put this Denver team over the edge. But one sticks out among several icons.
1 Denver Broncos legend could guarantee them a Super Bowl in 2026
Couldn't say no to these players
John Elway, QB
Bo Nix is good, but Elway is an all-time great and has been there and done that when it comes to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. Are Denver's Super Bowl hopes in peril with Nix under center? Absolutely not. But Elway is the best player to wear the orange and blue for a reason, so it's hard to say he wouldn't help, even if Nix is still capable of getting the job done.
Champ Bailey, CB
Cornerback clearly isn't the biggest position of need for this Broncos team, but just imagine him and Pat Surtain II on the boundary and Ja'Quan McMillian in the slot. Where on earth would opposing QBs throw the ball? It would be like a supercharged "No Fly Zone," which would help the cause even more.
Rod Smith, WR
Denver added Jaylen Waddle this offseason and Pat Bryant looks like a breakout candidate, but Nix could never have too many weapons. Smith never got his proper due around the league, but the Broncos' all-time receiving leader and two-time champion would be a massive boon to an already very good offense. And he'd bring that Super Bowl pedigree to get them over the top.
Game-changers at a consequential position
Terrell Davis, RB
Davis didn't have the longest day in the sun, but like Smith, he'd bring experience in the biggest game to this roster. And the trio of J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey and Jonah Coleman looks promising, but just imagine what a benefit it would be to Nix and new play-caller Davis Webb to be able to rely on a ground game that boasts all four of them. Sure would have been nice in the snow; I'll say that.
Shannon Sharpe, TE
It may not be as hard to pull Sharpe away from podcasts in this alternate timeline, and he would be a massive help to a tight end room that needs a top-flight option. Maybe Evan Engram lives up to his billing a bit more in 2025, but any argument that Sharpe wouldn't transform this offense and give Nix another incredible pass-catching option should fall on deaf ears. He's a Hall of Famer for a reason.
The one that tips the scales
Randy Gradishar, ILB
Off-ball linebacker being the Broncos' biggest weakness isn't exactly a secret. So, why not bring the heart and soul of Orange Crush to modern-day Denver and guarantee a Super Bowl for the Mile High City? Gradishar was an animal against the run and had coverage chops that Alex Singleton doesn't, so putting him in the center of this defense would be like Thanos getting the final Infinity Stone.
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