Maybe the writing was on the wall once Bo Nix went down for the season, but the Broncos' season officially ended on Sunday afternoon in Denver with their 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots. The Broncos did all that they could to overcome the loss of franchise man Nix, but it just wasn't enough to knock off the Patriots. Denver's season ended at the hands of likely MVP runner-up Drake Maye.
The Broncos were given a fairly historic task: win the conference title with a quarterback who hasn't thrown a game pass in two years. The most recent start of Stidham's career before today came in the final game of the Broncos' 2023 season, and his only action since was preseason and kneel-downs. In total, he hadn't attempted a pass in almost 750 days.
You already knew all of those incredible stats and absurd storylines, but everyone still wanted to believe that the Broncos could go out there and win a game. The Broncos raced out to a 7-0 lead on their second possession of the game, but nothing much materialized following. Denver allowed 10 unanswered points and never saw the same offensive success.
Broncos season ends after incredible run to AFC Championship Game
The Broncos embarked on one of the most important seasons in franchise history and gave fans tons to be excited about heading into 2026. Denver had an incredible run through fourth quarters in the regular season, including some of the most memorable wins in franchise history. The Broncos might not bring home a Lombardi this year, but the trajectory of the franchise forever changed.
The Broncos, if nothing else, can be assured that they have their franchise quarterback in Nix. The Broncos have been in quarterback purgatory for over a decade now, but Nix seems to have put all of that to bed with his play this year. Undoubtedly, he is the new franchise quarterback in Denver and is the face of the franchise. His pairing with Sean Payton could deliver a third-straight playoff appearance last year.
After what was an at times awe-inspiring and heart-rate spiking season, the Broncos will head home for time to think about where to go from here. Key issues are obvious on the offense, and the Broncos can't fall into the trap of assuming that they will be back. It will be an incredibly interesting spring in Denver, with the chance to add to their offensive core.