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The Denver Broncos will have to play a first-place schedule in 2026 after winning the AFC West. This means they will have to face the division winners of each of the other three AFC divisions in regular-season games next year.
We know who the Broncos will face, but won't fight out when until the NFL releases its schedule later this spring (usually mid-May). Still, we can get an idea of how that schedule could shape up now.
The Broncos will be looking to win the AFC West in consecutive years for the first time since 2014-15, but the road to accomplishing that won't be easy.
Denver Broncos' 2026 opponents
Home and Away
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Home
Buffalo Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Away
New England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers
New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
Carolina Panthers
As you can see, this is going to be an extremely difficult schedule, at least on paper. Of the 14 different opponents the Broncos will face next season, nine of them were playoff teams this season. They will also have to face both Super Bowl teams (Patriots, Seahawks) and the Rams, who made it to the NFC Championship Game.
READ: Did the Broncos just fire one coach to make sure they don't lose another?
There will be several things that happen in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft that can make these teams look much different than they do now, but one would have to believe that the Broncos will have one of the league's most difficult schedules next season.
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