The 2025 Denver Broncos and the Super Bowl 50 team may have more things in common than you think.
We're going to see just how similar the 2015 and 2025 Denver Broncos are, and not to spill the beans too early, but there are many key parallels that could thrust this 2025 team into contention for a multitude of reasons.
I am not saying the 2025 Denver Broncos are going to win the Super Bowl, but they have a similar team to the 2015 squad that did win it all.
Key parallels between the 2015 and 2025 Denver Broncos
A nasty, fierce, deep defensive line
Denver's defensive line in 2015 featured players like Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Malik Jackson, and Sylvester Williams. Their linebackers weer also great in Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall. Overall, it was one of the best defensive lines in the NFL on paper for that season.
Well, the Broncos in 2025 do sport a top-notch defensive line in Zach Allen, DJ Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Jonathon Cooper, and Nik Bonitto. This huge parallel is awesome, as the 2015 Broncos were able to get to the QB at a high level, and there really is no better way to disrupt a play than to get to the QB quickly and stop the run at a high level.
Great secondary play
Denver's 2015 No Fly Zone was absolutely one of the best secondaries of all time, period, and the unit in 2025 did see some key new additions in Jahdae Barron and Talanoa Hufanga. The Broncos also sport the best defensive player in the NFL in Patrick Surtain II and other good players like Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, and Kris Abrams-Draine.
Denver having top-end talent and depth in their secondary for 2025 does give them a great chance to stop opposing passing attacks right in their tracks.
A sure-thing head coach
The Denver Broncos hired Gary Kubiak back in 2015, and he led Denver to the Super Bowl in his first season. Honestly, the Broncos have a much better head coach for 2025 in Sean Payton, so that is a massive similarity, but also better in many ways. Sean Payton is a Super Bowl champion, having won it all back in 2009 with the Saints. No NFL team is going to sustain success without a sure-thing at head coach.
A franchise quarterback
The Denver Broncos' 2015 QB situation was quite interesting, but they did have a franchise QB in Peyton Manning. He truly regressed and fell off the rails in that season, as Brock Osweiler was truly the better QB.
Anyway, heading into 2025, the Broncos absolutely have a franchise QB in Bo Nix, so them having the most important position in sports secured is going to do wonders for their chances in 2025 and beyond.
When you truly look at it like this, there are a ton of key parallels between this team and the 2015 team.