The Denver Broncos are clearly in a Super Bowl window as a team right now, which means the intensity of roster discussions in the 2026 offseason will ramp up significantly.
It's impossible to look back at the Broncos' 2025 season and not think about the possible butterfly effect of Bo Nix never suffering a season-ending ankle injury at the end of the Divisional Round victory against the Buffalo Bills. Seeing how the Patriots played in both the AFC Championship Game as well as the Super Bowl against Seattle, you really can't help but wonder.
But as we all move on from the torturous "what if" question, the Broncos will be having some significant decisions behind the scenes about the future of this team. Are there any areas of the roster where the hard reset button is needed in 2026?
3 areas of the Broncos roster that might need the hard reset button in 2026
1. Linebacker
The most obvious position group where the Broncos might look into hitting a hard reset button is at the linebacker position.
The two players who played the most snaps at this position last season were Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, and both of those players are set to hit free agency in March. The Broncos have to really weigh the pros and cons of the experience those guys bring to the table vs. the talent upgrades potentially available in free agency.
The other major decision that needs to be made at linebacker is the one facing linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw doesn't have any guaranteed money on his contract, and it's fair to say his first year with the Broncos was a massive disappointment compared to the lofty expectations everyone had when he arrived.
2. Tight End
The Denver Broncos did not get nearly enough production out of the tight end position in 2025. The arrival of Evan Engram in free agency was met with a ton of excitement, and for a number of (valid) reasons.
The addition of Engram was pitched as not only an upgrade to the tight end position, but the arrival of Sean Payton's self-proclaimed "must-have" of a 'joker' in his offense. The problem is, Payton and the Broncos failed to properly or consistently involve Engram in the offensive game plan.
Couple that with the fact that Garett Bolles and Frank Crum provided the team with a bigger impact in the passing game than Adam Trautman -- the team's leader at the position in snaps played -- and you have a recipe for disaster.
The Broncos had to bring in one of the oldest players in the league (Marcedes Lewis) last season to help supplement their depth at the position. The likes of Trautman, Lucas Krull, and others should probably not be key fixtures on this team going forward.
The Broncos can keep Evan Engram, but they need to get a more dynamic threat to pair with him who can also play in-line.
3. Running back
The running back position needs a hard reset for the Denver Broncos, save for the retention of RJ Harvey. Harvey had nearly 900 yards from scrimmage last season and 12 total touchdowns, but his impact as just a running back left something to be desired.
JK Dobbins was great through the first 9 games (and change) last season, but another devastating season-ending injury has raised significant questions about how viable of an option he is for the Broncos moving forward.
The Broncos need to move on from Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin in the 2026 offseason, effectively hitting the reset button at this position as a whole. And frankly, the last three years have proven that it's not "just" a running back personnel issue, but a run scheme and personnel package issue from the coaching staff.
The Broncos should be looking to sign a big-name free agent running back to pair up with Harvey, as well as using a pick in the first four rounds on the running back position to reload their depth.