The Denver Broncos followed up their breakout 2025 campaign with a fairly quiet body of work over the offseason. And yet, the moves they did make clearly have made this squad better on paper, which has led fans to believe that this group could somehow manage to take a step forward, even after making it all the way to the AFC Championship Game last year.
If it wasn’t for an ill-timed ankle injury to Bo Nix, the Broncos very well may have found their way to the Super Bowl last season. Now, they are going to have a target on their backs after establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the league, and while that could lead to some regression, one former NFL head coach, Steve Mariucci, actually believes the opposite will happen.
Steve Mariucci Picks Broncos as Team to Beat in 2026
Denver was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last season, as it kept on winning, even as fans waited for the rug to be pulled out from underneath it. With a 14-3 record, the Broncos were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, even though they played in a tough AFC West division that will likely be even more difficult to play in this upcoming season.
The Broncos have a lot of things working for them. Their offense can run hot or cold at times, but when a big throw needs to be made, Nix has proven himself capable of being a guy who can deliver the goods. It also helps that he’s being supported by one of the best defensive units in the league, which helps create short fields and extra possessions for the offense on a regular basis.
With the majority of the team returning in 2026, and new faces like Jaylen Waddle set to make an immediate impact, there are a lot of reasons for optimism surrounding the Broncos. Not everyone is sold on them just yet, but Mariucci confidently declared them the team to beat in the NFL in a recent interview with casino.org.
“The team that is going to be really good and scary, even though they have a tough schedule, is the Denver Broncos,” Mariucci said. “They were the number one seed in the AFC. They won that tough division … They have the best defense in the National Football League, and they have a top 10 offense … Give them another year of experience with Bo Nix to improve that offense, and if they continue being the number one defense, then that’s the team to beat.”
Broncos Have Their Sights Set on a Super Bowl Run in 2026
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 04: (L-R) Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos speaks to Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High on January 04, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
The Broncos definitely don’t win football games in a conventional manner, but all that matters at the end of the day is that they come out on top. Nix has proven early in his career that he is capable of leading Denver to wins, and as he enters his third season in the pros, he should only continue to improve moving forward.
With the Kansas City Chiefs looking to put together a bounce-back campaign and the Los Angeles Chargers remaining a playoff contender themselves, the Broncos are going to have their work cut out for them this upcoming season. If the team can continue to improve, though, there’s no reason why they can’t go on another deep playoff run that leads them to the Super Bowl this time around.
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