The five biggest Broncos games on the 2026 schedule

The Denver Broncos full 2026 schedule was released on Thursday night and the road map to the fall and winter is finally here.

Coming off a 14-3 season and trip to the AFC Championship, expectations are the highest they’ve been in Broncos Country in a long time. If Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle, Denver could’ve easily gone to the Super Bowl and perhaps won the whole thing.

But that’s a thing of the past as the journey must start all over again. And playing a loaded first-place schedule means there are a lot of intriguing matchups for Sean Payton, Bo Nix and the Broncos in 2026.

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 3 vs. Rams (Sunday, 6:20 p.m. MT, NBC)

The Rams and Broncos both came up one step short in 2025 and this is a potential Super Bowl preview. While Los Angeles feels like it’s at the end of its window with Matthew Stafford, Denver’s is just opening up with Nix.

It’ll be a test for the Broncos’ excellent defense against the Rams’ high-powered offense. Vance Joseph’s unit was great last year, can it be again? Empower Field at Mile High should be rocking for Sunday Night Football.

No. 4: Week 6 vs. Seahawks (Thursday, 6:15 p.m. MT, Prime Video)

This was the game many hoped we’d see last February, but it didn’t happen. Will the Seahawks fall back down to Earth after a magical season or keep things rolling as they look to go back-to-back?

Kenneth Walker III is gone from Seattle, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best receiver in the NFL. It’ll be a treat to watch him and Pat Surtain II square off. Plus, maybe these two will meet again for the Lombardi Trophy in 2027. This is a fun preview, although it being a Thursday night is an interesting wrinkle.

No. 3: Week 17 at Patriots (Saturday / Sunday, TBD)

The AFC Title Game was supposed to be Nix against Drake Maye. Only one half of that duo got to play because of Nix’s broken ankle. And while the two rising QBs are friends off the field, this will be intense on it.

Foxborough has always been a tough place to play and we know the New England crowd is electric. Seeing if the Broncos can get some revenge for what happened in the playoffs will be fascinating to watch, especially with potential playoff seeding on the line this late in the season.

No. 2: Week 16 vs. Bills (Friday, 2:30 p.m. MT, Netflix)

Perhaps the game of last year, Denver sent Buffalo home in OT in epic fashion in the divisional round. Josh Allen and the Bills will return to Empower Field at Mile High on Christmas Day knowing the outcome could help determine the No. 1 seed in the AFC. What a gift for Broncos fans to host this game after opening presents.

Is it possible this showdown can match what we saw in the postseason? Probably not, but it’s still a huge game as the top tier in the conference gets solidified in December.

No. 1: Week 1 at Chiefs (Monday, 6:15 p.m. MT, ABC / ESPN)

Sure it’s the season opener, but this can set the tone for the whole year. If the Broncos win at Arrowhead they’ll have a one-game lead on the Chiefs with a later battle in Denver still to come. Getting off to a fast start is always paramount, but it’s extra important given that Kansas City is the opponent in Week 1.

We’ll see what Patrick Mahomes looks like coming off a nasty knee injury, but the guy is scary for a reason. The whole country will be watching to find out who gets off to a 1-0 start and takes early control of the AFC West.

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