Ranking the five biggest games on the 2024 Broncos schedule

The Denver Broncos full 2024 schedule was released on Wednesday night, and the road map to the fall and winter is here.

Head coach Sean Payton returns for his second year with the Broncos, but he’ll have a new quarterback. After moving on from Russell Wilson this offseason, all eyes are on rookie QB Bo Nix. Denver selected Nix with the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and the former Oregon star could be out there as soon as Week 1 against the Seahawks.

Payton also brought in Zach Wilson from the New York Jets as a reclamation project, but he’s a placeholder for Nix at best unless he plays out of his mind early. And that’s if he even gets the nod to be the starting QB out of training camp.

With that said, let’s dive into Denver’s five biggest games and the juiciest storylines from each as we start to prepare for the regular season.

No. 5: Week 4 at Jets (Sunday, 11:00 a.m. MT, CBS)

This is the “what could have been game.” Many thought when the Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett before the 2022 regular season to be head coach, he’d lure Aaron Rodgers to Denver with him. That, of course, didn’t happen and now Hackett and Rodgers are both in New York. Rodgers played just a handful of snaps in 2023 before his Achilles went out, but he should be good to go this year. The fire is gone a little bit now than it’s been 17 months since Hackett was fired, but he beat the Broncos last year. You can bet revenge is on Payton’s mind.

No. 4: Week 1 at Seahawks (Sunday, 2:05 p.m. MT, CBS)

Does the NFL know that Payton cut Wilson this offseason? This is a bit of a strange opener, and certainly won’t carry the same emotion as when Wilson infamously returned to Seattle to start the 2023 season. That loss came down to a boneheaded decision by Hackett to try a 64-yard field goal with Brandon McManus rather than attempt to advance the football further, and McManus missed it. Still, the vibes around the 2024 Broncos are low. Getting a win against a Seattle team in transition would start the season off on the right note. And if it’s Nix’s debut in orange and blue, it should be memorable.

No. 3: Week 10 at Chiefs (Sunday, 11:00 a.m. MT, CBS)

Considering the home game for the Broncos against the Chiefs is in Week 18, this might be the only matchup against the back-to-back Super Bowl champions that matters. By the last game of the year, Kansas City could be resting its starters as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce prepare for another deep playoff run. Denver finally ended its miserable looking streak to the Chiefs a year ago, and will now try to make it two in a row. The odds will be stacked against them, but what a start to the Nix era if he somehow goes into Arrowhead Stadium and beats Kansas City. This is one to circle.

No. 2: Week 7 at Saints (Thursday, 6:15 p.m. MT, Prime Video)

Payton won a Super Bowl with New Orleans and was their head coach for 16 seasons. This will no doubt be an emotional return and it comes in one of just two primetime games for the Broncos this season. Payton facing off against the Saints will be filled with fun storylines, and the reception in New Orleans for the former boss should be a positive one. He was victorious in a lot of games down there, something the fans in Louisiana will appreciate. But you can bet he wants to hand the Saints a loss this time around, and doing that would be extra special.

No. 1: Week 2 vs. Steelers (Sunday, 2:25 p.m. MT, CBS)

Wilson is coming back. And he should get booed loudly by the fans at Empower Field at Mile High. Wilson infamously said he wanted to play 10-12 years in Denver and win three to four Super Bowls. He made it two lousy seasons with the Broncos and didn’t even sniff the playoffs, let alone a championship. The team took on the largest dead cap in NFL history to cut Wilson, as Payton was convinced he wasn’t the guy. The atmosphere should be raucous, as Broncos Country let’s Wilson have it for his failures in Denver. This is by far the biggest game of the season, one Denver desperately wants to win.

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