The Denver Broncos won 14 games in the 2025 season and were the best team in the AFC. While some may be predicting a regression, the Broncos have a lot going for them that would make a regression downright shocking.
We've outlined three obvious reasons why the Broncos will remain as the AFC's best in 2026, as what we have seen from the team these past two seasons is far from a fluke, and we've elaborated on these points further.
Let's dive into it here.
3 reasons why the Denver Broncos will remain the AFC's best in 2026
Trenches, trenches, trenches
The Broncos have the best collection of trench talent in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season. Not only has the defensive line led the NFL in sacks in each of the last two seasons, but they've also been quite stout against the run during that time.
The offensive line is also a juggernaut. Not only does QB Bo Nix excel at avoiding sacks, but the unit is also filled with a ton of high-end players. The Broncos had two first-team All-Pros last year in Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz, and have three other very capable starters in Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, and Mike McGlinchey.
The team's investment in the trenches has also helped this team improve in the win column each year of the Payton era, and with most of the same players returning, the Broncos are poised to again be elite up front.
Jaylen Waddle and Davis Webb
Adding Jaylen Waddle via trade and giving offensive coordinator Davis Webb play-calling duties were two stellar moves that the team had to make. With Waddle in the picture, the Broncos now have a legiitmate go-to weapon on offense to slot right into the top spot on the wide receiver depth chart.
Waddle's raw speed and separation ability makes him a mismatch all over the field, whether in short-area routes or down the field, and he could also get work in the slot and out wide. Webb is also someone who has consistently been looked at as an up-and-coming coach in this league.
Having recently played in the NFL, Webb's more modern offensive mindset could yield a quicker and more efficient product on offense. With the team already sporting a top-3 defense, it's not hard to see how the Broncos are again the best in the AFC if the offense is able to put up just a few more points per game on average.
Sean Payton in charge of it all
Sean Payton is clearly among the best in the league at what he does. While the Broncos 1-5 start way back in 2023 had many of us thinking that Payton wasn't cut out for the job, the team finished that year 7-4 and then proceeded to win a combined 24 regular season games over the past two seasons.
Payton has been doing this thing at a high level for nearly 20 years now, and his ability to not only lead the Broncos in the right direction, but to also bring the right players is, is something that can continue being the driving force in Denver being a top team in the conference.
He clearly had a vision of how he wanted to build this team, and it's played out almost perfectly since he took over as head coach.
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