The Denver Broncos won the AFC West in the 2025 NFL Season with games to spare, and they are well-positioned to do it again in 2026.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders do all have something good going for them right now, but pound for pound, the Broncos are the best overall team, so another division title should soon follow.
And we have outlined five distinct advantages that Denver has over the rest of the AFC West with the 2026 season approaching.
Denver Broncos have clear-cut advantages over their AFC West foes for 2026
Best offensive line
The Broncos offensive line is still the best in the AFC West, the AFC, and perhaps across the entire league. For the third year in a row, the starting offensive line is projected to be exactly the same, and for the fourth year in a row, all but Luke Wattenberg are projected to be starting.
The overall continuity of this unit is mind-boggling, to be honest, but it's something that has become the identity of this team. While there could be some changes next offseason with left guard Ben Powers set to be a free agent, the Broncos could still end up having the other four in the mix as starters.
Best defensive line
Denver has led the NFL in sacks the past two seasons, and they have also been quite stout against the run. In 2025, the Broncos allowed the second-fewest yards on the ground, only trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not only is the Broncos pass-rush the best in the division, but the run defense is as well!
The Chargers and Chiefs were both in the top-10, but were not as good in terms of total yards allowed as the Broncos.
Stud quarterback on his rookie deal
This is a major advantage in today's NFL, as Bo Nix still being on his rookie deal does give the Broncos more financial flexibility. Obviously, this does not last forever, which makes it that much more important and valuable to an NFL franchise.
Even if Nix were to sign a mega-deal next offseason, the highest cap hits would not come until years down the line, so the Broncos' financial window here is still wide open.
Best overall roster
The Broncos do have the best overall roster in the division. The Raiders aren't really competing for this yet and still likely have another couple of seasons before they could realistically stand near the top of the NFL.
Los Angeles' offensive line is still shaky, and they also don't have a clear-cut WR1 and are littered with 'good not great' talent on offense. Kansas City's secondary was picked apart this offseason, and the team notably has an absence of talent at wide receiver, tight end, and along the defensive line.
Denver has the best roster in the division and one of the best in the NFL - this was proven last year and will continue to be the case this year.
Easiest schedule in the division
There seems to be a myth out there that when a team finishes in first place in their own division, that automatically means the schedule gets insanely tougher the following season. That simply isn't the case. For the Broncos, they actually have the easiest schedule in the division this coming season based on opposing winning percentage from the previous year.
Here is where all four teams stand across the league:
18. Denver Broncos - .512
24. Los Angeles Chargers - .522
26. Las Vegas Raiders - .529
28. Kansas City Chiefs - .536
While the Broncos schedule is ever-so-slightly on the harder side, it's easier based on this metric than their three divisional foes. This is clearly an advantage, even if it's a small one.
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