Not only did the Denver Broncos wrap up the #1 seed in the AFC in Week 18, but the team's opponents for the 2026 NFL Season were also finalized. Much of the NFL schedule and who teams play is based on where they fall in the standings.
And now that the standings in the regular season are set, all 32 teams know who they are set to face, but we will not know the times and dates for another few months, as that usually revealed sometime in May. Denver finished in first place in the AFC West, so they will have a 'first place' schedule.
Like any NFL schedule a team has, there are some easier, tougher, and some in-between opponents. Let's check out who the Denver Broncos will face in 2026.
Here are the Denver Broncos opponents for the 2026 NFL Season
Home:
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
Jacksonville Jaguars
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
The AFC West divisional opponents are always set. The Broncos seem to have their tougher opponents at home in 2026, which is nice, as the Bills, Jaguars, Rams, and Seahawks have all won at least 12 games this year and could be very good again in 2026.
Denver, like the rest of the AFC, also has eight home games and nine away games in 2026. One of the four teams I just mentioned is likely going to be a game Denver has in primetime. This is a relatively tough home schedule - no denying that.
Away:
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
Carolina Panthers
The away slate is more manageable. You'll note that the Broncos are playing all of the NFC West and AFC East in 2026. The Broncos should be able to handle business against the Jets, Steelers, Cardinals, Panthers, and Raiders, but the other games could be a coin flip.
Overall, this schedule could contain another path to a double-digit win season for Denver in 2026, which would be the team's third in a row. The Broncos have turned into one of the winningest teams in the league since the start of 2024, having gone 24-10 in the regular season.
The Broncos will now rest up during Wild Card Weekend and turn their attention to the results of those games, as the Broncos will be hosting the lowest remaining AFC seed in the Divisional Round in two weeks.