We've recounted the 2025 NFL Season too many times at this point, but until the 2026 season begins, we'll keep talking about it. The Denver Broncos really progressed nicely in 2025 after what was already a breakout campaign in 2024. It did feel like, following that AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, that the Broncos could genuinely win the Super Bowl.
It almost felt too good to be true, as quarterback Bo Nix had almost single-handedly taken down the Buffalo Bills, but that was also a situation that Nix should not have been in, as the Broncos had not been able to run the ball much at all, so more was scooped on Nix's plate as a result.
Shortly after the dramatic overtime win, and the Broncos clinching a home game in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, the entire franchise, city, and fanbase suffered the biggest gut punch in years, as head coach Sean Payton announced that Nix had fractured his ankle and would be out for the rest of the season, and some recent in-house reporting from ESPN's Seth Wickersham really creates what I believe to be the beautiful tragedy that is the NFL.
Denver Broncos had it all going for them in the playoffs, until they didn't
Wickersham had spent over a week with the Broncos during the playoffs, laying it all out in a long, narrative-ish piece that is worth reading (seriously, read every single word). Wickersham got a ton of access during this time with the team, as he was able to get first-hand experience with the Broncos during game preparations, and there are simply a ton of quotes from players with the team that stuck out, contributing to this beautiful tragedy that many fans simply won't be able to live down:
"We're beginning our season in Santa Clara. And we're going to end it there, too." - Sean Payton during a training camp meal at a steakhouse
"All we need is two." - Payton talking about how many wins the team needs with Jarrett Stidham following Nix's injury
"I'm not worried about Stiddy," he says, later adding: "I'm worried about the rest of you swinging [expletive]..."
Guys laugh.
"I don't need supermen," he tells the team. "I need you." - Payton addressing the team directly
"You know what else will be flowing?" Stidham says. "The drinks after we win."
- Jarrett Stidham talking to Broncos offensive coaches
"Bo... " Lowery says.
"Bo?" Payton says.
"Bo fractured his ankle and will have surgery Tuesday."
Payton's eyes widen.
"His season is over," Lowery says.
Everyone in the office looks nauseous. The thumping and cheering seems to fade. The room's dimensions seem to shift, at once spinning and still. Payton stares at the floor, eyes dead, head slowly nodding.
"Stiddy," he says. - The sequence of events when Beau Lowery informed Payton that Nix broke his ankle and would have surgery
And there is so much more here that really just tugs at your heart. It could not be more clear just how much the Broncos were prepared during the playoffs, and it's jaw-dropping how much goes into a singular game, let alone a playoff game.
Once again, this entire piece is worth a read, and it is honestly a great reflection of the operation that the Broncos currently have. Perhaps only rivaled by a few other teams, Denver simply knows what they are doing and knows how to win games.
If the Broncos were right back at home in the AFC title game during the 2026 season, I am not sure a single soul inside that building would be surprised, either. However, with how hard it is to get to the spot that Denver was in, nothing is guaranteed in the future.
The 2026 season and how it goes is going to be totally unrelated to the 2025 campaign. Fortunately, though, the Broncos do appear to have it all in place for a magical run this year.
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