For the first time in forever, the Broncos have given fans legitimate reasons for hope. After what felt like an eternity in quarterback purgatory with no real direction for the franchise, the Broncos are back. There’s a legitimate case that the only thing standing between them and an AFC title ended up being the injury to Bo Nix.
Credit needs to be given to the Broncos for their incredible run to the playoffs last year, but many were willing to write that off as a fluke. In the second year of Sean Payton and Nix together, the Broncos are officially back. This season might have ended differently than they had hoped, but that shouldn’t despair anyone. If anything, fans should be optimistic following this loss.
The Broncos are in incredible hands and do not appear to be going anywhere in the AFC anytime soon. This isn’t to say that Denver will be back in the same spot next year or to expect another conference title game appearance, but the Broncos should continue to trend upwards from here. For that exact reason, fans should not lose faith in this team.
Broncos once again give their fans reason for great hope going forward
One of the biggest issues with the Broncos over the last decade has been their inability to build any form of core. The Broncos hit on several free agent signings, even had some incredible draft luck, but could not build a strong young core to build around. With their current group having led them to the doorstep of the Super Bowl, the Broncos can now firmly say that they have a young core to work with.
With this season now behind them, the Broncos can point to several players who are part of their new core. Led by Nix, Denver has several players near the top of their position in the game, and most appeared to fit this identity of a gritty Broncos team. Assuming no massive changes this spring, this course shouldn’t be going anywhere before next year.
For the Broncos, some self reflection will be required this spring. They came up three points short to the Patriots, and need to figure out the best way to approach getting over the top in 2026. Fans should trust that Payton and general manager George Paton have the smarts to pull it off, and can get this roster to where it needs to be headig into 2026.