The Denver Broncos have not been to the playoffs since the 2015-16 season when they won Super Bowl 50. It's the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL currently behind only the New York Jets, and the Broncos would obviously love to see their first postseason action in nearly a decade considering they are in the midst of rebuilding and reloading the roster.
Especially considering the fact that the Broncos are also eating the majority of Russell Wilson's whopping $85 million in dead salary cap money this year ($53 million in 2024, $32 million in 2025). If the Broncos could make the playoffs with the amount of dead cap they currently are dealing with, it would be a massive testament to the coaching of Sean Payton and his staff.
And if they do make the playoffs, there's a decent chance they would end up playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers -- and old pal Russell Wilson -- in the Wild Card round.
Broncos could face Russell Wilson in the playoffs...if they can make it
Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers actually came to Denver back in Week 2 of this season, but Wilson was still dealing with a calf issue at the time and obviously didn't get the chance to play. The Steelers won the game 13-6 and the Broncos were still struggling to get things off the ground offensively at the time.
Now, over the last handful of weeks, not only have the Broncos been able to figure out some things offensively, but the Steelers have had a bit of an offensive surge as well with Wilson in the starting lineup. It wasn't the most popular decision by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to name Russ the starter, but it certainly has paid dividends as they have scored 63 points in Russ's two starts this season.
READ MORE: 3 glaring problems Broncos must fix before Week 10 game vs. Chiefs
The Steelers were on a bye this past weekend but they'll travel to Washington to take on the red-hot Commanders in Week 10 while the Broncos have a road trip against the Chiefs. If the season ended today, the Broncos would be the 7th seed in the AFC and the Steelers would be the 3rd seed. But they are currently only the third seed because they have one less win than the Bills and have played one fewer game.
The Bills have a game against the Chiefs in Week 11, so the Steelers could jump them relatively soon.
Meanwhile, the Broncos are going to have to keep on winning just to keep pace in the Wild Card race. But whether the Broncos find a way to be the 6th or 7th team in the AFC, there is a decent chance their first-round opponent would be the Steelers. They'd be traveling to Pittsburgh to face off against Russell Wilson.
And if that happened, it would be one of the most incredible storylines of the 2024 NFL season.