The Denver Broncos should have been playing in the Super Bowl, but no one can reverse time, so all of Broncos Country had to deal with watching the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seahawks in the final game of the 2025 season. If not for a Bo Nix broken ankle in the Divisional Round, we could very well be talking about the Broncos as Super Bowl 60 champions.
Well, the focus will now shift to the 2026 NFL Offseason. Denver still has Nix on his rookie deal for a couple more seasons, and the team still sports one of the league's best rosters and has an elite coaching staff to boot. If you pair that up with a high-performing front office, there is a path for the Broncos to get to the Super Bowl for the 2026 campaign.
But before that happens, Denver should look to Seattle for a few valuable lessons the team can use to boost their chances at making a Super Bowl run in 2026.
The Seattle Seahawks just gave the Denver Broncos some valuable lessons
Fielding an efficient run game with a slam-dunk RB1 is the key to offensive success
This isn't a mystery to Broncos fans, and it was on full display in Super Bowl 60. Kenneth Walker ran for 135 yards on 27 carries and just wore down the Patriots' defense. Walker was playing at a high level all regular season and even into the playoffs, and without his steady presence in the backfield, Seattle doesn't win the Super Bowl.
The Broncos did have a special run game going when J.K. Dobbins was healthy, but his struggles to stay on the field unfortunately impacted him in 2025. The most important need Denver has this offseason is finding that every-down RB1 player. Whether you personally think it's a Breece Hall or a Rico Dowdle is largely irrelevant, as the Broncos just need someone to come in and be able to carry a larger load in the backfield.
With the Seahawks not really being able to get much going through the air in the Super Bowl, they had to lean on Walker, and it worked.
There is no such thing as too much talent along the defensive line
Seattle's defense was the best in the NFL for the entire season. The unit emerged as the most consistent group in the league with talent at all three levels, but the straw that stirred that defensive drink was the insanely deep defensive line. In the regular season, Seattle had five players along the defensive line have double-digit quarterback hits, and nine different players had multiple sacks.
While the Broncos were the league's 'sack masters' in 2025, the Seahawks defensive line was overall more deep of a unit and stronger against the run. If the Broncos could take another lesson away from the Super Bowl champions, it's that there is no such thing as too much talent along the defensive line.
Denver already boasts the best pass-rushing unit in the league, and the defense was largely good against the run in 2025, but more quality depth options could be necessary.
A game-changing pass-catcher can be a huge help to the quarterback
The Seahawks saw wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba win the Offensive Player of the Year this season after a wildly productive campaign. Smith-Njigba finished with nearly 1,800 yards in the regular season in one of the more prolific offensive seasons we have seen in the NFL.
While JSN did not make much of an impact in the Super Bowl on the stat sheet, the Seahawks don't get to that game without his insane production. Smith-Njigba makes life a lot easier for quarterback Sam Darnold, as having a high-end player to throw the ball to has to also be a mentally relaxing reality for any quarterback to have.
We've seen the best passers in the league all have this type of weapon, whether that's currently or in previous seasons. Josh Allen had Stefon Diggs, Joe Burrow has Ja'Marr Chase, and Patrick Mahomes once had a prime Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
Simply put, the Broncos passing attack is going to remain stagnant until the front office can find this type of player. Sure, it's much easier said than done, but it's also something teams have made happen many times before. The Broncos have to be the next team do bring in a game-changing player like this.