Denver Broncos 2026 schedule of opponents: Home, away matchups confirmed

2 days ago7 min read

The Denver Broncos, having clinched the AFC West crown and sitting just one game away from potentially securing the top seed in the AFC, have completed a remarkable three-year resurgence in the Mile High City. This journey, however, sets the stage for what appears to be a brutal proving ground in 2026, as the NFL’s scheduling formula, rewarding success with a first-place slate, has delivered a gauntlet.The raw numbers are stark: based on the current playoff picture, the Broncos are slated to face a staggering ten opponents who qualified for the postseason in 2025, a figure that notably excludes their twice-annual clashes with the long-eliminated Kansas City Chiefs. This represents an even tougher path than the 2025 season, where they faced six such teams by the same metric, underscoring the escalating challenge of maintaining supremacy.The structural imbalance of nine road games versus eight at home only amplifies the difficulty, a subtle but significant hurdle in the quest for playoff positioning. Delving deeper, the schedule is a fascinating study in competitive cycles and the NFL’s relentless parity.The Broncos’ reward for winning their division is a date with the other AFC division winners—the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins at home, and the New England Patriots and New York Jets on the road—a quartet that represents the conference’s established and emerging elite. More daunting, perhaps, is the interconference draw against the NFC West, arguably football’s most ferocious division this season, where they must travel to face the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers and host the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.This quartet alone could make or break Denver’s season, presenting a weekly test of physicality and strategic adaptability. Historically, teams coming off a breakout season often face a regression hurdle, not just from internal pressure but from the elevated quality of opposition, a phenomenon the 2026 schedule embodies perfectly.The home slate at Empower Field at Mile High features the familiar AFC West foes—the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders—alongside the Bills, Dolphins, Rams, Seahawks, and Jacksonville Jaguars, a mix of explosive offenses and stout defenses. The road itinerary is even more treacherous, with trips to Arrowhead, SoFi Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, and hostile environments in Foxborough, East Rutherford, Glendale, Santa Clara, Pittsburgh, and Carolina.Analyst consensus suggests games against the Bills, Rams, and 49ers, in particular, will serve as ultimate litmus tests for a Broncos squad that, while defensively formidable, still seeks offensive balance to alleviate pressure on quarterback Bo Nix. The run game’s development this offseason will be paramount, as controlling the clock against these high-powered attacks is a proven formula for pulling off upsets.

#Denver Broncos

#2026 NFL schedule

#AFC West

#opponents

#Bo Nix

#playoff teams

#featured