The Denver Broncos had to try and take down the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback, and, despite missing Bo Nix and a few other key players, the Broncos nearly beat New England. If nothing else, this should be an extra sense of motivation for the team going into 2026.
And with free agency about one month away, all eyes will be on Denver and how they approach the free agency market, as they'll have multiple chances to upgrade the roster via siginings or even a major trade. Only time will tell, but there is a very good chance that the Broncos are fielding a much-improved roster when the 2026 regular season begins.
Well, in some post-Super Bowl power rankings, the Broncos did settle into a good spot, but the team still somehow is being a bit discarded at the same time with the ranking.
Denver Broncos not given enough credit in latest NFL power rankings
Eric Edholm of NFL.com ranked the Broncos fourth in his post-Super Bowl power rankings, and that spot is actually still low for the team.
'Seeing the Patriots get blown out in the Super Bowl had to be twinged with the pangs of disappointment, knowing they might have matched up better -- with a healthy Bo Nix, of course -- against the Seahawks. Of course, that’s neither here nor there, and the Broncos have to pick up the pieces after their missed opportunity. They’ll likely be among the handful of AFC favorites heading into next season for good reason, but Nix and the offense must level up to be true Super Bowl contenders. That must include more consistent production from the skill players, more development from Nix and fewer backsteps (mostly penalties). That unit is capable, and the defense should remain close to elite, but there’s still work to be done to upgrade this offseason."
You could very easily argue that the Broncos should be ranked second. Obviously, they can't be ranked first given what happened, but important context is needed here. Considering that the team nearly beat the Pats in the AFC title game without Nix, you could quite obviously argue that Denver is in the Super Bowl if Nix is healthy.
The Broncos were much more battled tested than the Patriots, so it's odd that New England was ranked third, one spot ahead of Denver. New England benefitted from an incredibly easy schedule and got exposed quite badly in Super Bowl 60.
But the Broncos weren't just only missing Nix, they were also missing J.K. Dobbins, the starting running back, Troy Franklin, the second option in the passing game, and Brandon Jones, one of the better, more underrated safeties in the league.
Perhaps as the offseason rolls on, the Broncos will rise up a few more spots in various power rankings, as the argument is seamless to make that this is, currently, the second-best team in the NFL.