Somehow, someway, the Denver Broncos have already been horribly disrespected for the 2025 NFL Season. Many people were proven wrong in 2024 when the Broncos finished 10-7 and made the playoffs. Some thought this team was going to be among the worst in the NFL. And that was a pretty common opinion.
Denver was one of two teams to truly exceed expectations, and it was enough to get into the postseason for the first time since 2015. Much of the reason why people were so low on the Broncos stemmed from their opinions on Bo Nix, who Denver picked with the 12th selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nix was not a universally thought-of prospect, as some people had a second or even third-round grade on him. Well, we all know what happened in 2024. Nix and Denver shattered expectations and are somehow still be doubted for 2025...
Bleacher Report rolled out their own 2025 NFL playoff predictions, and below is the AFC seeding they predicted:
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Houston Texans
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts???
It's amazing and almost as if they did not watch the Colts or Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL Season. As of right now, if the new season were to start today, the only teams in the AFC who are legitimately better than the Broncos are the Ravens, Chiefs, Bills, and Chargers. The Denver Broncos are pretty clearly the 5th-best team.
The Cincinnati Bengals have a bad OL and bad defense. The Houston Texans have a QB who regressed big-time in 2024 and a pretty shaky interior offensive line, and the Indianapolis Colts have a historically bad QB.
It's also worth noting that the Denver Broncos have built their team the right way for long-term success; they're strong in the trenches, have their franchise QB, and have a top-notch coaching staff. Teams build like the Broncos typically don't miss the playoffs unless something major and unfortunate happens.
The Broncos also have a ton of room to add playmakers to the offense. This team is surely going to bring in new faces at running back, tight end, and wide receiver. Defensively, I bet the Broncos also make a notable effort to find upgrades at defensive tackle, inside linebacker, and safety.
I just don't see a logical reason as to why some of the teams in Bleacher Report's predictions could make the playoffs over the Denver Broncos in 2025.