The Denver Broncos did seem well on their way to advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2015 season, but when news broke that Bo Nix had broken his ankle following the Divisional Round, all bets were off.
Nix was asked to do a lot in that game - he led the team in rushing, as the team did struggle to run the ball ever since J.K. Dobbins had went down with a foot injury. To be frank, it was a bit ridiculous that Nix had to carry the load in the playoffs as much as he did, but injuries can make that happen sometimes.
Ideally, the Broncos don't have to ask their star quarterback to carry the load as much in 2026, and better injury luck would obviously help that. The Broncos are slated to play the Buffalo Bills in the 2026 campaign, and the latest scheduling rumor does put that playoff heartbreak right back in primetime.
Latest Denver Broncos scheduling rumor pins the team on Christmas against the Bills
According to a notorious NFL schedule-leaker, OzzyNFL, the Broncos will host the Bills on Christmas:
BREAKING 🎄
— Ozzy (@OzzyNFL) May 14, 2026
Bills at Broncos - Week 16 - Christmas Day
A Divisional Round rematch on a festive Friday in Denver. 4:30 PM ET - @netflix pic.twitter.com/3hqdPl5ePO
It's obviously important to remember that this game is only a rumor right now until it's confirmed by an official NFL source, but the Broncos and Bills being in a primetime slot would not at all be a shock. These are two of the best teams in the NFL, and you could argue that Denver and Buffalo are the two best teams in the AFC at the moment.
The New England Patriots did seem to benefit from an insanely easy schedule last year, and both the Broncos and Bills have stronger rosters than the Patriots. The Broncos being able to get a head-to-head win over Buffalo would also be huge for future playoff implications.
If both Denver and Buffalo won their divisions in 2026, which is realistic, the higher seed would obviously go to the team with the better record, but if, let's say, Denver and Buffalo are 12-5, but the Broncos have the head-to-head win, Denver would get the higher seed.
This game, potentially being on Christmas, would also make it very late in the regular season, when playoff spots can be clinched. This could end up being one of the more important games of the entire slate for the Broncos.
But we did see this team do enough to beat Buffalo in the playoffs when the stakes were the highest, so getting this game again could also yield the same result.
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