6 biggest obstacles Broncos face in getting to and winning Super Bowl LXI

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The Denver Broncos have made it clear that they are all in for the 2026 NFL season, looking to get to and win Super Bowl LXI. The team came painfully close to that goal last season, but a season-ending ankle injury suffered by Bo Nix in the divisional round of the playoffs basically derailed those hopes.

The team is widely seen as one of the top contenders heading into the season, but things can change quickly in the NFL. There are several teams in that position as of this writing and several more could join the fray once the action actually starts.

We have already discussed the biggest concerns for the team within the AFC West division. Now, looking at the road ahead, these are some of the biggest obstacles that could get in Denver's way of winning a fourth Lombardi Trophy.

Broncos' biggest Super Bowl LXI obstacles

Wild Cards

The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars were two of the four teams that were able to beat the Broncos last season. Both of those teams could take a step back this coming season, and are not seen as major threats as of right now, but each of them could deal devastating losses to the Broncos' title hopes once again.

They play Jacksonville in Week 2 and New England in Week 17, so those will be key games at the beginning and end of the season.

New-look Chargers

The Chargers still have Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, but the addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel makes them a much more dangerous team offensively. With a healthy Omarion Hampton in the backfield, this team could give the Broncos plenty of trouble.

The Chargers beat the Broncos in Week 3 last season and could be the toughest obstacle in repeating as AFC West champions. The Chargers always seem to be a paper tiger, but this could be the year they actually have some bite.

Lone Star Defense

The Houston Texans have had their struggles offensively, but they are the one team in the league that probably has a better overall defense than Denver. This would have been a tough draw for the Broncos had it happened in the postseason last year, and that would be the case again this year.

Revenge of the Bills

The Buffalo Bills are hot on the Broncos' trail in terms of AFC power rankings, and they still have an extremely bitter taste in their mouths after losing to the Broncos in the playoffs last year.

These two teams meet in Week 16, but that could just be a prelude to another postseason clash. The Bills would likely relish that opportunity.

Chiefs are still the Chiefs

So long as Patrick Mahomes is fully recovered from the ACL he tore last December, it's impossible to count out a Chiefs team that was severely humbled last season. They see the Broncos as the temporary kings of the AFC West and they will be looking to take their crown back.

First-place schedule

The biggest hurdle the Broncos will face in 2026 might not be just one opponent, but rather a collection of opponents. After winning the division last year, the Broncos now have to deal with a brutal first-place schedule that is going to make winning the division again extremely difficult.

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If the team doesn't win the division and is forced to navigate through the postseason as a Wild Card, getting to and winning Super Bowl LXI will be very hard to do and some would even call it quite unlikely.