The Denver Broncos came within one game of the Super Bowl in the 2025 season, and it's not a stretch to think the team can win it all this year. While nothing is guaranteed, and windows can close as soon as they are open, the Broncos might be set up to enjoy quite the open window given how good the roster is.
And when you think about it, the 2026 season is the first year the Broncos won't have the Russell Wilson dead cap on their books. That $85 million was spread out over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, so there is still a ton of financial flexibility for the Broncos right now as well.
While Denver winning it all might actually represent one of the more expected situations in the league this year, there are some legitimate obstacles in the way of the Broncos hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Let's dive into those here.
3 things potentially in the way of a Denver Broncos Super Bowl in 2026
Potential that Kansas City, Baltimore, and Cincinnati get back to the playoffs
The Broncos were in the playoffs in a very rare year, as all of Kansas City, Baltimore, and Cincinnati didn't make it. The Bengals actually haven't made the playoffs since 2022, but it was definitely a shock that the Chiefs and Ravens didn't make it, especially both missing it in the same postseason.
To be honest, the lone threat to the Broncos in the playoffs were the Buffalo Bills, who now have a reputation of playoff heartbreak. Given how good the Chiefs, Ravens, and Bengals have been in prior years and can be this year, the Broncos could be in a situation where they're sharing the playoff field with the trio of generational quarterbacks that each of these teams have.
This isn't to say the Broncos couldn't take down these teams, and that Bo Nix couldn't go toe-to-toe with them, but the presence of those QBs and teams in the playoffs would be an obstacle that the Broncos would have to figure out how to overcome.
Regression from the 2025 season (especially close game victories)
There is a chance that the Broncos win fewer games by one-score in the 2026 season. While I am personally in the camp that the Broncos are and will remain a juggernaut, there's no denying that the team won by the skin of their teeth in 2025.
The 2024 Chiefs were actually a similar team to the 2025 Broncos, as Kansas City had won a ton of games by one-score before falling back down to reality in 2025. Patrick Mahomes was 6-8 as a starter last year.
With how loaded the team's roster is, though, there is a chance that the Broncos continue stacking wins, and the one-score victories remain, but winning just one game in this league is incredibly difficult, so as much of a chance there is that the team remains atop the league, there is also a chance that the Broncos see a few of those one-score victories flip the other way, which could cause the team to not win the AFC West.
Davis Webb's first year calling plays
Davis Webb's first year as the play-caller for the Broncos is already something that is filled with optimism, but there simply isn't a guarantee that he'll hold his own. The one thing many want to see from Webb is a quicker operation with fewer personnel shifts and more up-tempo action.
All that is easier said than done, and while Webb could have a firm grip on this role already, being in a game is a totally different story. Given how talented the unit is, though, Webb's job might not be that difficult. He's been with the Broncos as a coach in each year of the Sean Payton era, and he's also obviously been in the QB room with Nix since his rookie season.
There may already be a high level of comfortability and familarity across the board, and that should help Webb ease into this role, but as a first-time play-caller, opposing defenses might feel like they can expose the inexperience.
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