2025 Denver Broncos season

2025 Denver Broncos season
Owner	Rob Walton
General manager	George Paton
Head coach	Sean Payton
Offensive coordinator	Joe Lombardi
Defensive coordinator	Vance Joseph
Home stadium	Empower Field at Mile High
Results
Record	14–3
Division place	1st AFC West
Playoffs	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Bills) 33–30 (OT) Lost AFC Championship (vs. Patriots) 7–10
All-Pros	LT Garett Bolles (1st team) RG Quinn Meinerz (1st team) DT Zach Allen (1st team) ST Devon Key (1st team) CB Patrick Surtain II (2nd team) S Talanoa Hufanga (2nd team)
Pro Bowlers	6 WR Courtland Sutton T Garett Bolles G Quinn Meinerz DT Zach Allen OLB Nik Bonitto CB Patrick Surtain II
Uniform

The 2025 season was the Denver Broncos' 56th in the National Football League (NFL) and its 66th overall. It is also the team's fifth under the leadership of general manager George Paton, its fourth under the ownership of the Walton-Penner family group and its third under head coach Sean Payton.

With a 14–3 record, the Broncos tied a franchise record for wins in a single season, previously set in 1998. The Broncos clinched their first AFC West division title and No. 1 seed since their 2015 Super Bowl-winning season, finishing tied with the New England Patriots, but earning the No. 1 seed based on the common games tiebreaker, and ending their 10 year drought since they last advanced past the first round of the playoffs.

The Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills, 33–30, in the Divisional Round to advance to the AFC Championship Game; however, starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury on the second-to-last play. With backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting, the Broncos were defeated by the Patriots at home 10–7.

The Denver Broncos drew an average home attendance of 75,313, one of the highest of all American football teams in the world.^[1][2]

2025 Denver Broncos coaching staff changes

Position	Previous coach	Replacement(s)	Source(s)
Assistant special teams coach	Chris Banjo, 2023–2024	Marwan Maalouf	[3][4]
Tight ends coach	Declan Doyle, 2023–2024	Austin King	[5][6]
Assistant offensive line coach	Austin King, 2023–2024	Chris Morgan	[6]
Special teams coordinator	Ben Kotwica, 2023–2024	Darren Rizzi	[7][8]
Defensive quality control coach	Addison Lynch, 2023–2024 Isaac Shewmaker, 2023–2024	Todd Davis Brian Niedermeyer	[9][10]
Inside linebackers coach	Greg Manusky, 2023–2024	Jeff Schmedding	[11][12]
Offensive pass game coordinator	John Morton, 2023–2024	Davis Webb	[13][6]
Assistant strength and conditioning coach	Shaun Snee, 2023–2024	Taylor Porter	[6]
Outside linebackers coach	Michael Wilhoite, 2023–2024	Isaac Shewmaker	[14][6]
Special teams quality control coach	None	Zach Line	[6]
Cornerbacks coach	None	Addison Lynch	[6]
Director of game management	None	Evan Rothstein	[6]
Director of strength and conditioning	None	Shaun Snee	[6]
Offensive run game coordinator	None	Zach Strief	[6]

Notes:

• Darren Rizzi and Zach Strief will also hold the title of assistant head coach, alongside Jim Leonhard.^[6][8]
• Austin King, Addison Lynch, Isaac Shewmaker, Shaun Snee, Zach Strief and Davis Webb were all promoted from within the organization, and were not new hires.^[6]

On January 17, it was announced that John Morton would re-join the team for the postseason as an offensive consultant after being let go from his previous position as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions.^[15]

2025 Denver Broncos front office staff changes

Position	Previous executive	Replacement	Source(s)
Director of player personnel	Reed Burckhardt, 2022–2024	A. J. Durso Cam Williams	[16][17]
Director of pro personnel	A. J. Durso, 2017–2024	Jordon Dizon	[17]
Assistant general manager	Darren Mougey, 2022–2024	Reed Burckhardt	[18][17]
Scout	Rob Paton, 2017–2024	None	[19]
Assistant director of college scouting	Nick Schiralli, 2021–2024	Dave Bratten	[17]
Senior personnel executive	David Shaw, 2024	Nick Schiralli	[20][17]
Director of college scouting	Brian Stark, 2017–2024	Bryan Chesin	[21][17]
Vice president of football operations	Mark Thewes, 2020–2024	None	[22]
Player personnel coordinator/scout	None	Roya Burton	[17]
Senior college scout	None	Scott DiStefano	[17]
National scout	None	Deon Randall	[17]
Midwest area/international scout	None	Ish Seisay	[17]

Notes:

• Dave Bratten, Reed Burckhardt, Roya Burton, Bryan Chesin, Scott DiStefano, A. J. Durso, Deon Randall, Nick Schiralli, and Ish Seisay were all promoted from within the organization, and were not new hires.^[17]

All players listed below were signed to reserve/future contracts on January 13,^[23] unless otherwise noted. Each player was officially added to the active roster on March 12—the first day of the 2025 league year.

Position	Player
WR	Michael Bandy
ILB	K. J. Cloyd
OLB	Andrew Farmer
G	Nick Gargiulo
DE	Matt Henningsen
S	Tanner McCalister
NT	Jordan Miller
CB	Quinton Newsome
WR	A. T. Perry
OT	Will Sherman
S	Keidron Smith
CB	Reese Taylor
G	Calvin Throckmorton
TE	Thomas Yassmin

Notes:

• Michael Bandy was signed on January 15.^[24]

Position	Player	Tag	Team signed with	Date signed	Notes	Source(s)
OT	Quinn Bailey	UFA	None
ILB	Cody Barton	UFA	Tennessee Titans	March 13	3 years, $21 million	[25]
FB	Michael Burton	UFA	Denver Broncos	March 26	1 year, $1.423 million	[26]
ILB	Zach Cunningham	UFA	Detroit Lions	May 27	1 year, $1.255 million	[27]
P	Riley Dixon	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 13	2 years, $6 million	[28]
LS	Mitchell Fraboni	RFA	Denver Broncos	March 11	3 years, $4.175 million	[29]
WR	Lil'Jordan Humphrey	UFA	New York Giants	March 21	1 year, $1.245 million	[30]
DE	Jordan Jackson	ERFA	Denver Broncos	March 4	1 year, $0.96 million	[31]
NT	D. J. Jones	UFA	Denver Broncos	March 11	3 years, $39 million	[32]
S	Devon Key	ERFA	Denver Broncos	March 4	1 year, $0.96 million	[31]
TE	Lucas Krull	ERFA	Denver Broncos	March 4	1 year, $1.03 million	[31]
CB	Ja'Quan McMillian	ERFA	Denver Broncos	March 4	1 year, $1.03 million	[31]
OT	Matt Peart	UFA	Denver Broncos	March 12	2 years, $7 million	[33]
CB	Tremon Smith	UFA	Houston Texans	March 14	2 years, $6.5 million	[34]
QB	Jarrett Stidham	UFA	Denver Broncos	March 10	2 years, $12 million	[35]
ILB	Justin Strnad	UFA	Denver Broncos	March 13	1 year, $2.788 million	[36]
OLB	Dondrea Tillman	ERFA	Denver Broncos	March 4	1 year, $0.96 million	[31]
RB	Javonte Williams	UFA	Dallas Cowboys	March 14	1 year, $3 million	[37]
QB	Zach Wilson	UFA	Miami Dolphins	March 17	1 year, $6 million	[38]
Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA): Players with four or more accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season Restricted Free Agent (RFA): Players with three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season Exclusive-Rights Free Agent (ERFA): Players with two or fewer accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season

Source for this section: USA Today.^[39]

Position	Player	Previous team	Date signed	Notes	Source(s)
TE	Evan Engram	Jacksonville Jaguars	March 13	2 years, $23 million	[40]
ILB	Dre Greenlaw	San Francisco 49ers	March 13	3 years, $35 million	[41]
S	Talanoa Hufanga	San Francisco 49ers	March 13	3 years, $45 million	[42]
WR	Trent Sherfield	Minnesota Vikings	March 13	2 years, $6 million	[43]
P	Matt Haack	Jacksonville Jaguars	March 19	1 year, $1.255 million	[44]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Indianapolis Colts	April 2	1 year, $1.338 million	[45]
S	Sam Franklin Jr.	Carolina Panthers	April 11	1 year, $1.5 million	[46]
LS	Zach Triner	Miami Dolphins	April 21	1 year, $1.17 million	[47]
TE	Cole Fotheringham	Las Vegas Raiders	May 12	1 year, $0.84 million	[48]
LS	Zach Triner	Denver Broncos	May 12	1 year, $1.17 million	[49]
TE	Caden Prieskorn	Detroit Lions	June 3	1 year, $0.84 million	[50]
RB	J. K. Dobbins	Los Angeles Chargers	June 11	1 year, $5.25 million	[51]
CB	Mario Goodrich	Birmingham Stallions (UFL)	June 18	1 year, $1.03 million	[52]
OLB	Garrett Nelson	San Antonio Brahmas (UFL)	July 31	1 year, $0.84 million	[53]
ILB	Garret Wallow	Tennessee Titans	August 1	1 year, $1.1 million	[54]
CB	Gregory Junior	Green Bay Packers	August 10	1 year, $1.03 million	[55]
CB	Micah Abraham	St. Louis Battlehawks (UFL)	August 15	1 year, $0.84 million	[56]
FB	Adam Prentice	New Orleans Saints	August 17	1 year, $1.13 million	[57]
DT	Michael Dwumfour	San Francisco 49ers	August 20	1 year, $1.03 million	[58]
ILB	Levelle Bailey	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
WR	Michael Bandy	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
TE	Caleb Lohner	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
C	Joe Michalski	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
NT	Jordan Miller	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
CB	Quinton Newsome	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
WR	A. T. Perry	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
FB	Adam Prentice	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
CB	Jaden Robinson	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
S	Keidron Smith	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
CB	Reese Taylor	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
ILB	Jordan Turner	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
S	Delarrin Turner-Yell	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
ILB	Garret Wallow	Denver Broncos	August 27	Practice squad	[59]
TE	Patrick Murtagh	Jacksonville Jaguars	August 28	Practice squad	[60]
WR	Thayer Thomas	Minnesota Vikings	September 2	Practice squad	[61]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Denver Broncos	September 6	Promoted to active	[62]
RB	Deuce Vaughn	Dallas Cowboys	September 9	Practice squad	[63]
FB	Adam Prentice	Denver Broncos	September 24	Promoted to active	[64]
CB	A. J. Woods	Philadelphia Eagles	September 24	Practice squad	[64]
ILB	Garret Wallow	Denver Broncos	October 4	Promoted to active	[65]
WR	Samori Toure	Chicago Bears	October 5	Practice squad	[66]
S	J. T. Gray	Baltimore Ravens	October 13	Signed off PS	[67]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	Denver Broncos	October 14	Promoted to active	[68]
G	Karsen Barnhart	Los Angeles Chargers	October 14	Practice squad	[69]
OLB	Garrett Nelson	Denver Broncos	October 14	Practice squad	[68]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Denver Broncos	October 18	Practice squad	[70]
OT	Marques Cox	Denver Broncos	October 21	Practice squad	[71]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Denver Broncos	October 22	Promoted to active	[72]
WR	Kyrese Rowan	Denver Broncos	October 22	Practice squad	[72]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Denver Broncos	October 29	Practice squad	[73]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	Chicago Bears	October 29	Practice squad	[73]
WR	Michael Bandy	Denver Broncos	November 6	Promoted to active	[74]
OT	Geron Christian	Dallas Cowboys	November 11	Signed off PS	[75]
WR	Michael Bandy	Denver Broncos	November 12	Practice squad	[76]
WR	Lil'Jordan Humphrey	New York Giants	November 12	Signed off PS	[76]
OLB	Garrett Nelson	Denver Broncos	November 12	Practice squad	[77]
CB	Reese Taylor	Denver Broncos	November 15	Promoted to active	[78]
OT	Marques Cox	Denver Broncos	November 24	Practice squad	[79]
WR	Elijah Moore	Buffalo Bills	December 2	Practice squad	[80]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	Denver Broncos	December 6	Promoted to active	[81]
RB	Sincere McCormick	Arizona Cardinals	December 8	Practice squad	[82]
WR	Kyrese Rowan	Denver Broncos	December 9	Practice squad	[83]
ILB	Jordan Turner	Denver Broncos	December 13	Promoted to active	[84]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	Denver Broncos	December 13	Practice squad	[84]
RB	Cody Schrader	Houston Texans	December 15	Claimed off waivers	[85]
G	Nash Jones	Los Angeles Chargers	December 17	Practice squad	[86]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	Denver Broncos	December 19	Practice squad	[87]
TE	Mercedes Lewis	Denver Broncos	December 25	Promoted to active	[88]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	Denver Broncos	December 25	Promoted to active	[88]
C	Sam Mustipher	Los Angeles Chargers	December 26	Signed off PS	[89]
RB	Cody Schrader	Denver Broncos	December 27	Practice squad	[90]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	Denver Broncos	December 30	Practice squad	[91]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	Denver Broncos	January 5	Promoted to active	[92]
S	Tanner McCalister	Kansas City Chiefs	January 6	Practice squad	[93]
OT	Geron Christian	Denver Broncos	January 7	Practice squad	[94]
C	Michael Deiter	Washington Commanders	January 7	Practice squad	[94]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	Denver Broncos	January 7	Practice squad	[94]
QB	Ben DiNucci	Atlanta Falcons	January 18	Practice squad	[95]
WR	Brandon Johnson	Pittsburgh Steelers	January 20	Practice squad	[96]

Position	Player	Date	Notes	Source(s)
P	Matt Haack	May 9	Released	[97]
LS	Zach Triner	May 9	Released	[97]
CB	Kendall Bohler	May 12	Waived	[49]
ILB	K. J. Cloyd	May 12	Waived	[49]
NT	Christian Dowell	May 12	Waived	[49]
TE	Thomas Yassmin	May 12	Waived	[49]
TE	Cole Fotheringham	June 3	Waived/injured	[50]
TE	Cole Fotheringham	June 5	Waived from IR	[98]
LS	Zach Triner	June 11	Released	[51]
S	Tanner McCalister	June 18	Waived	[52]
CB	Mario Goodrich	August 1	Waived	[99]
DE	Matt Henningsen	August 10	Waived/injured	[55]
CB	Gregory Junior	August 15	Waived/injured	[100]
ILB	J. B. Brown	August 20	Waived	[58]
CB	Gregory Junior	August 22	Waived from IR	[101]
CB	Micah Abraham	August 24	Waived	[102]
WR	Joaquin Davis	August 24	Waived	[102]
ILB	Andrew Farmer	August 24	Waived	[102]
CB	Joshua Pickett	August 24	Waived	[102]
G	Clay Webb	August 24	Waived	[102]
T	Marques Cox	August 25	Waived	[103]
DT	Michael Dwumfour	August 25	Waived	[102]
RB	Audric Estimé	August 25	Waived	[103]
CB	Damarri Mathis	August 25	Waived	[103]
OLB	Garrett Nelson	August 25	Waived	[103]
WR	Jerjuan Newton	August 25	Waived	[103]
WR	Kyrese Rowan	August 25	Waived	[103]
OT	Xavier Truss	August 25	Waived	[102]
RB	Blake Watson	August 25	Waived	[103]
ILB	Levelle Bailey	August 26	Waived	[103]
WR	Michael Bandy	August 26	Waived	[103]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	August 26	Released	[103]
S	Sam Franklin Jr.	August 26	Released	[103]
WR	Courtney Jackson	August 26	Waived	[103]
TE	Caleb Lohner	August 26	Waived	[103]
C	Joe Michalski	August 26	Waived	[103]
NT	Jordan Miller	August 26	Waived	[103]
CB	Quinton Newsome	August 26	Waived	[103]
WR	A. T. Perry	August 26	Waived	[103]
FB	Adam Prentice	August 26	Released	[103]
TE	Caden Prieskorn	August 26	Waived	[103]
CB	Jaden Robinson	August 26	Waived	[103]
G	Will Sherman	August 26	Waived	[103]
S	Keidron Smith	August 26	Waived	[103]
CB	Reese Taylor	August 26	Waived	[103]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	August 26	Released	[103]
ILB	Jordan Turner	August 26	Waived	[103]
S	Delarrin Turner-Yell	August 26	Waived	[103]
ILB	Garret Wallow	August 26	Released	[103]
DE	Kristian Williams	August 26	Waived/injured	[103]
CB	Quinton Newsome	September 2	Released from PS	[104]
DE	Kristian Williams	September 8	Waived from IR	[105]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	October 17	Released	[106]
WR	Thayer Thomas	October 18	Released from IR	[107]
CB	A. J. Woods	October 18	Waived from PS	[70]
G	Karsen Barnhart	October 21	Waived from PS	[108]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	October 28	Released	[73]
OLB	Garrett Nelson	October 28	Waived from PS	[73]
WR	Samori Toure	October 28	Waived from PS	[73]
S	J. T. Gray	November 4	Released	[109]
WR	Michael Bandy	November 11	Waived	[75]
OT	Marques Cox	November 11	Released from PS	[75]
WR	Trent Sherfield	November 15	Waived	[78]
WR	Kyrese Rowan	December 2	Released from PS	[110]
ILB	Garret Wallow	December 6	Waived	[81]
OT	Marques Cox	December 9	Waived from PS	[83]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	December 11	Waived	[111]
S	Keidron Smith	December 15	Signed off PS	[112]
RB	Sincere McCormick	December 16	Released from PS	[113]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	December 18	Waived	[114]
RB	Cody Schrader	December 25	Waived	[88]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	December 26	Waived	[89]
OT	Geron Christian	January 5	Waived	[92]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	January 5	Waived	[92]
G	Nash Jones	January 7	Released from PS	[94]
C	Joe Michalski	January 7	Released from PS	[94]
OLB	Garrett Nelson	January 19	Released from PS	[115]
C	Michael Deiter	January 20	Released from PS	[116]

Position	Player	Date signed	Notes	Source(s)
OLB	Jonathon Cooper	March 21	Restructure	[117]
WR	Courtland Sutton	July 28	4 years, $92 million	[118]
DE	Zach Allen	August 2	4 years, $102 million	[119]
OLB	Nik Bonitto	September 4	4 years, $106 million	[120]
K	Wil Lutz	November 24	3 years, $16.1 million	[121]
DT	Malcolm Roach	November 26	3 years, $24 million	[122]
C	Luke Wattenberg	November 26	4 years, $48 million	[123]

Trade partner	Broncos give	Broncos receive	Date	Source
New Orleans Saints	WR Devaughn Vele	2026 fourth-round selection 2027 seventh-round selection	August 20	[124]

2025 Denver Broncos draft selections

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	20	Jahdae Barron	CB	Texas
2	51	Traded to the Carolina Panthers[A]
	57	Traded to the Detroit Lions[B]			From Panthers[A]
	60	RJ Harvey	RB	UCF	From Lions[B]
3	74	Pat Bryant	WR	Illinois	From Panthers[A]
	85	Traded to the Carolina Panthers[A]
	101	Sai'vion Jones	DE	LSU	From Rams via Falcons and Eagles[C]
4	111	Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles[C]			From Panthers[A]
	122	Traded to the Carolina Panthers[A]
	130	Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles[C]			From Lions[B]
	134	Que Robinson	DE	Alabama	From Eagles[C]
5	155	Traded to the Miami Dolphins[D]
6	191	Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles[C]			From Cardinals[E]
	197	Traded to the Houston Texans[F]
	208	Traded to the Carolina Panthers[A]			From Eagles[G]
	216	Jeremy Crawshaw	P	Florida	From Texans[F]
7	230	Traded to the Detroit Lions[B]			From Cardinals via Panthers[A]
	236	Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles[G]
	241	Caleb Lohner	TE	Utah	From Texans[F]

Draft trades

All undrafted free agents were signed on April 27, following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL draft unless otherwise noted.^[132]

2025 Denver Broncos undrafted free agents

Position	Player	College
CB	Kendall Bohler	Florida A&M
ILB	J. B. Brown	Kansas
T	Marques Cox	Kentucky
WR	Joaquin Davis	North Carolina Central
NT	Christian Dowell	UT Martin
WR	Courtney Jackson	Arkansas State
C	Joe Michalski	Oklahoma State
WR	Jerjuan Newton	Toledo
CB	Joshua Pickett	Duke
ILB	Karene Reid	Utah
CB	Jaden Robinson	Oregon State
WR	Kyrese Rowan	Utah State
G	Xavier Truss	Georgia
ILB	Jordan Turner	Michigan State
OLB	Johnny Walker Jr.	Missouri
G	Clay Webb	Jacksonville State
DT	Kristian Williams	Missouri

Notes:

• Jordan Turner and Kyrese Rowan were signed on May 12.^[133]

On October 20, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was suspended for one game, following an incident in which he verbally threatened referee Brad Allen at the end of the Broncos' Week 7 win over the New York Giants.^[134]

Position	Player	Time of injury	Type of injury	Reserve list	Games missed	Source(s)
TE	Cole Fotheringham	OTAs	Undisclosed	Waived/injured, later waived with injury settlement	None	[50]
WR	A. T. Perry	Minicamp	Ankle	Active/physically unable to play	None	[135]
ILB	Drew Sanders	Training camp	Foot	Reserve/injured	Week 1–Championship	[136][137]
OLB	Johnny Walker Jr.	Training camp	Undisclosed	Reserve/injured	Entire 2025 season	[138]
ILB	Dre Greenlaw	Training camp	Quad	Reserve/injured	Weeks 1–6	[139][140][141]
TE	Nate Adkins	Preseason	Sprained ankle	–	Weeks 1–2	[142][143][139]
FB	Michael Burton	Preseason	Hamstring	Reserve/injured	Entire 2025 season	[143][144]
G	Nick Gargiulo	Preseason	Torn ACL	Reserve/injured	Entire 2025 season	[145][146][147]
DE	Matt Henningsen	Preseason	Ruptured Achilles tendon	Waived/injured	Entire 2025 season	[148][55]
CB	Gregory Junior	Preseason	Hamstring	Waived/injured, later waived with injury settlement	None	[100]
CB	Joshua Pickett	Preseason	Hand	Waived with injury settlement	None	[149]
RB	Blake Watson	Preseason	Strained PCL	Waived with injury settlement	None	[150]
DT	Kristian Williams	Preseason	Undisclosed	Waived/injured, later waived with injury settlement	Week 1	[151][105]
DT	Malcolm Roach	Week 1 practice	Strained calf	Reserve/injured	Weeks 1–5	[139][62][152]
TE	Evan Engram	Week 3 practice	Back	–	Week 3	[140]
TE	Lucas Krull	Week 5 practice	Broken foot	Reserve/injured	Week 5–Championship	[153][154]
G	Ben Powers	Week 5	Biceps	Reserve/injured	Weeks 6–15	[155][152][156]
OLB	Jonah Elliss	Week 6 practice	Shoulder	–	Weeks 6–7	[157][158]
G	Matt Peart	Week 6	Torn MCL	Reserve/injured	Week 7–Championship	[68][159]
LB	Garret Wallow	Week 6	Hamstring	Reserve/injured	Weeks 7–10	[68][78]
WR	Thayer Thomas	Week 7 practice	Undisclosed	Practice squad/injured, later released with injury settlement	None	[160][107]
CB	Patrick Surtain II	Week 8	Pectoral	–	Weeks 9–11	[161]
TE	Nate Adkins	Week 8	Knee	–	Weeks 9–14	[161][81]
WR	Marvin Mims	Week 8	Concussion	–	Weeks 9–10	[161]
S	P. J. Locke	Week 9 practice	Neck	–	Week 9	[161]
S	J. T. Gray	Week 9	Hamstring	Released with injury settlement	None	[109]
RB	J. K. Dobbins	Week 10	Lisfranc	Reserve/injured	Week 11–Championship	[162][163]
OLB	Jonah Elliss	Week 10	Hamstring	–	Weeks 11–13	[164]
ILB	Karene Reid	Week 10	Hamstring	Reserve/injured	Weeks 11–18	[75]
ILB	Alex Singleton	Week 10	Testicular cancer	–	Week 11	[165]
DT	D. J. Jones	Week 14 practice	Ankle	–	Week 14	[166]
WR	Pat Bryant	Week 15 practice	Hamstring	–	Week 15	[84]
S	Brandon Jones	Week 15	Pectoral	Reserve/injured	Week 16–Championship	[85]
ILB	Justin Strnad	Week 15	Ankle	–	Week 16	[167][87]
S	Delarrin Turner-Yell	Week 16	Knee	Practice squad/injured	None	[168]
TE	Nate Adkins	Week 16	Knee	–	Week 17	[169]
WR	Pat Bryant	Week 16	Concussion	–	Week 17	[169]
ILB	Dre Greenlaw	Week 16	Hamstring	–	Weeks 17–18	[169]
C	Luke Wattenberg	Week 17 practice	Shoulder	Reserve/injured	Week 17–Divisional	[88]
DE	John Franklin-Myers	Week 17	Hip	–	Week 18	[170]
QB	Bo Nix	Divisional	Fractured ankle	Reserve/injured	Championship	[171]
C	Alex Forsyth	Divisional	Ankle	–	Championship	[172]
WR	Troy Franklin	Divisional	Hamstring	–	Championship	[172]
S	JL Skinner	Championship practice	Quad	–	Championship	[172]

2025 Denver Broncos standard elevations

Position	Name	Week(s)	Source(s)
ILB	Levelle Bailey	1, 17, 18	[62][88][173]
WR	Michael Bandy	9, 15, 17, Championship	[174][84][88][175]
QB	Sam Ehlinger	15, 16	[84][156]
TE	Marcedes Lewis	9, 10, 11	[174][176][78]
TE	Caleb Lohner	Divisional	[177]
WR	Elijah Moore	Divisional, Champhionship	[177][178]
FB	Adam Prentice	1, 2, 3	[62][179][180]
CB	Reese Taylor	10	[181]
G	Calvin Throckmorton	6	[152]
ILB	Jordan Turner	8, 11, 14	[182][78][81]
S	Delarrin Turner-Yell	16	[156]
ILB	Garret Wallow	2, 3, 4	[179][180][183]

2025 Denver Broncos staff

Front office Owner – Rob Walton Owner / CEO – Greg Penner Owner – Carrie Walton Penner Owner – Mellody Hobson Owner – Condoleezza Rice Owner – Lewis Hamilton President – Damani Leech General manager – George Paton Vice president of player personnel – Cody Rager Assistant general manager – Reed Burckhardt Co-director of player personnel – Cam Williams Co-director of player personnel - A. J. Durso Director of pro personnel – Jordon Dizon Vice president of football operations – Kelly Kleine Van Calligan Vice president of football administration – Rich Hurtado Vice president of player development – Ray Jackson Director of college scouting – Bryan Chesin Assistant director of college scouting - Dave Bratten Senior Director of Football Technology & Research - Tony Lazzaro Director of football analytics - Scott Flaska Senior personnel executive – Roman Phifer Senior personnel executive – Nick Schiralli Head coaches Head coach – Sean Payton Assistant to the head coach – Paul Kelly Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Joe Lombardi Offensive pass game coordinator/quarterbacks – Davis Webb Running backs – Lou Ayeni Wide receivers – Keary Colbert Tight ends – Austin King Offensive run game coordinator/assistant head coach – Zach Strief Assistant offensive line – Chris Morgan Director of game management/offensive line assistant – Evan Rothstein Senior offensive assistant – Pete Carmichael Passing game specialist – Zack Grossi Offensive quality control – Logan Kilgore Offensive quality control – Favian Upshaw

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Vance Joseph Defensive line – Jamar Cain Linebackers – Isaac Shewmaker Inside Linebackers – Jeff Schmedding Defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach – Jim Leonhard Cornerbacks – Addison Lynch Senior defensive assistant – Joe Vitt Defensive quality control – Todd Davis Defensive quality control – Brian Niedermeyer Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator/assistant head coach – Darren Rizzi Assistant special teams – Marwan Maalouf Special teams quality control – Zach Line Strength and conditioning Vice president of player health and performance – Beau Lowery Director of strength and conditioning – Shaun Snee Head strength and conditioning – Dan Dalrymple Assistant strength and conditioning – Korey Jones Assistant strength and conditioning – Taylor Porter

2025 Denver Broncos roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  4 Sam Ehlinger  8 Jarrett Stidham Running backs (RB) 28 Tyler Badie 12 RJ Harvey 38 Jaleel McLaughlin 46 Adam Prentice FB Wide receivers (WR) 13 Pat Bryant 11 Troy Franklin 17 Lil'Jordan Humphrey 19 Marvin Mims 14 Courtland Sutton Tight ends (TE) 45 Nate Adkins  1 Evan Engram 82 Adam Trautman

Offensive linemen (OL) 72 Garett Bolles LT 73 Frank Crum RT 54 Alex Forsyth C 69 Mike McGlinchey RT 77 Quinn Meinerz RG 61 Sam Mustipher C 63 Alex Palczewski LG 74 Ben Powers LG 60 Luke Wattenberg C Defensive linemen (DL) 99 Zach Allen DE 98 John Franklin-Myers DE 94 Jordan Jackson DE 93 D. J. Jones DT 95 Sai'vion Jones DE 97 Malcolm Roach DT 96 Eyioma Uwazurike DE

Linebackers (LB) 15 Nik Bonitto OLB  0 Jonathon Cooper OLB 52 Jonah Elliss OLB 57 Dre Greenlaw ILB 47 Karene Reid ILB 51 Que Robinson OLB 49 Alex Singleton ILB 40 Justin Strnad ILB 92 Dondrea Tillman OLB 55 Jordan Turner ILB Defensive backs (DB) 31 Kris Abrams-Draine CB 23 Jahdae Barron CB  9 Talanoa Hufanga SS 26 Devon Key FS  6 P. J. Locke FS 29 Ja'Quan McMillian NB 21 Riley Moss CB 34 JL Skinner SS  2 Patrick Surtain II CB 35 Reese Taylor CB Special teams (ST) 16 Jeremy Crawshaw P 48 Mitchell Fraboni LS  3 Wil Lutz K

Practice squad 56 Levelle Bailey ILB 83 Michael Bandy WR 75 Geron Christian LT  5 Ben DiNucci QB 36 Brandon Johnson WR 89 Marcedes Lewis TE 84 Caleb Lohner TE 30 Tanner McCalister SS 90 Jordan Miller NT 81 Elijah Moore WR 86 Patrick Murtagh TE (Int.) 87 A. T. Perry WR 33 Jaden Robinson CB 80 Kyrese Rowan WR 25 Cody Schrader RB 76 Calvin Throckmorton LG 32 Delarrin Turner-Yell SS (PS/I) 42 Deuce Vaughn RB Reserve 20 Michael Burton FB (IR) 27 J. K. Dobbins RB (IR/DFR) 66 Nick Gargiulo RG (IR) 91 Matt Henningsen DE (IR) 22 Brandon Jones FS (IR) 85 Lucas Krull TE (IR/DFR) 10 Bo Nix QB (IR) 79 Matt Peart LG (IR) 41 Drew Sanders ILB (IR/DFR) 59 Johnny Walker Jr. OLB (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 10 reserve, 17 practice squad (1 exempt)

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 9	at San Francisco 49ers	W 30–9	1–0	Levi's Stadium	Recap
2	August 16	Arizona Cardinals	W 27–7	2–0	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
3	August 23	at New Orleans Saints	W 28–19	3–0	Caesars Superdome	Recap

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 7	Tennessee Titans	W 20–12	1–0	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
2	September 14	at Indianapolis Colts	L 28–29	1–1	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
3	September 21	at Los Angeles Chargers	L 20–23	1–2	SoFi Stadium	Recap
4	September 29	Cincinnati Bengals	W 28–3	2–2	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
5	October 5	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 21–17	3–2	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
6	October 12	at New York Jets	W 13–11	4–2	Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)	Recap
7	October 19	New York Giants	W 33–32	5–2	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
8	October 26	Dallas Cowboys	W 44–24	6–2	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
9	November 2	at Houston Texans	W 18–15	7–2	NRG Stadium	Recap
10	November 6	Las Vegas Raiders	W 10–7	8–2	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
11	November 16	Kansas City Chiefs	W 22–19	9–2	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
12	Bye
13	November 30	at Washington Commanders	W 27–26 (OT)	10–2	Northwest Stadium	Recap
14	December 7	at Las Vegas Raiders	W 24–17	11–2	Allegiant Stadium	Recap
15	December 14	Green Bay Packers	W 34–26	12–2	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
16	December 21	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 20–34	12–3	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
17	December 25	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 20–13	13–3	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
18	January 4	Los Angeles Chargers	W 19–3	14–3	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Prior to the two-minute warning, all of the scoring came by way of the placekickers—50- and 33-yard field goals by the Titans' Joey Slye and a 39-yarder by the Broncos' Wil Lutz. The second Titans' field goal occurred after Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix was strip-sacked. The Broncos took a 10–6 lead with only 27 second before halftime, with Nix throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. However, Titans' return specialist Chimere Dike returned the ensuing kickoff to the Broncos' 24-yard line, which set up Slye's third field goal—a 42-yarder just before halftime. Following a Nix interception on the second play of the third quarter, Slye's fourth field goal of the game from 35 yards out gave the Titans a 12–10 lead. The Broncos marched down the field on their next possession, but had to settle on a 33-yard field goal by Lutz. This gave the Broncos a lead in which they would not relinquish. After Broncos' return specialist Marvin Mims muffed a punt early in the fourth quarter, the Titans had a short field at the Broncos' 24-yard line. However, Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward was sacked on two consecutive plays, which would push the Titans out of field goal range. Four plays later, Broncos' running back J. K. Dobbins rushed for a 19-yard touchdown, giving the Broncos a 20–12 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out on the Titans' next two possessions. With only 47 seconds left in the game, and after the Titans exhausted all of their team timeouts, Ward was strip-sacked on 4th-and-10 to seal the Broncos' win. The Broncos' defense held the Titans to –2 net yards in the second half and recorded six sacks of Ward.^[184]

After a strong performance against the Titans, the Broncos' defense struggled against the Colts, failing to force a punt and surrendering five field goals to placekicker Spencer Shrader. The defense also allowed Colts' quarterback Daniel Jones to pass for 316 yards, rush for one touchdown and pass for another. Three touchdown passes by quarterback Bo Nix and a 5-yard rushing touchdown by running back J. K. Dobbins gave the Broncos a 28–20 lead at the 11:13 mark of the third quarter. However, the Broncos would be held scoreless for the remainder of the game. After Nix was intercepted deep in Colts' territory, a 28-yard field goal by Schrader narrowed the Broncos' lead to 28–26 early in the fourth quarter. Broncos' placekicker Wil Lutz hit the right upright on a 42-yard field goal attempt with 3:19 remaining in the game, and the Colts had one last offensive possession. With three seconds left in the game, Schrader missed short on a 60-yard field goal attempt; however, Broncos' linebacker Dondrea Tillman was flagged for a 15-yard leverage penalty, giving Schrader another opportunity. Schrader kicked the game-winning 45-yard field goal on an untimed down.^[185]

The Broncos spotted the Chargers a 10–0 lead, after a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Cameron Dicker, followed in the second quarter by a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Omarion Hampton. The Broncos then scored 17 unanswered points, and got on the scoreboard just before halftime, with quarterback Bo Nix launching a 52-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. A 19-yard touchdown run by running back J. K. Dobbins and a 42-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz gave the Broncos a 17–10 lead. After a 24-yard field goal by Dicker narrowed the Broncos' lead to 17–13, Lutz responded with a 26-yarder early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos went three-and out on their next offensive possession, and Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan Allen to tie the score at 20–20 with 2:37 remaining in the game. The Broncos had a chance to get in field goal range, but Nix overthrew Sutton on a critical third down pass play on the first play from scrimmage after the two-minute warning, forcing the Broncos to punt. Herbert then engineered a game-winning drive, culminating in a 43-yard field goal by Dicker as time expired. It was the second consecutive week in which the Broncos were victimized by a game-ending field goal.^[186]

After allowing a 26-yard field goal by Bengals' placekicker Evan McPherson on the game's opening drive, the Broncos' defense held the Bengals scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Broncos' defense also recorded three sacks of Bengals' quarterback Jake Browning, who was playing in place of the injured Joe Burrow. On the offensive side of the football, quarterback Bo Nix accounted for three of the Broncos' four touchdowns—two passing and one rushing—and wide receiver Marvin Mims rushed for the other touchdown. J. K. Dobbins became the first Broncos' running back to rush for 100 yards since Week 18 of the 2022 season.^[187]

A 55-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz got the Broncos on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter. The Broncos caught a break, after a fumble by quarterback Bo Nix was overturned by a booth review. However, the Eagles would score 17 unanswered points and the Broncos were forced to punt on their next six possessions. First, a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Jake Elliott got the Eagles on the scoreboard late in the first quarter. Then, quarterback Jalen Hurts tossed a pair of touchdown passes—a 2-yarder to tight end Dallas Goedert midway through the second quarter, followed by a 47-yarder to running back Saquon Barkley on the opening possession of the third quarter. The Broncos' defense held the Eagles scoreless for the remainder of the game, and the offense did not reach the red zone until early in the fourth quarter, when running back J. K. Dobbins rushed for a 2-yard touchdown. After forcing an Eagles' punt, Nix connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Evan Engram. Instead of a game-tying extra point, the Broncos opted for a successful two-point conversion pass from Nix to wide receiver Troy Franklin that gave the Broncos an 18–17 lead with 7:43 remaining in the game.^[188]

The Eagles faced a 4th-and-4 near midfield on their next possession, and Hurts connected on a long pass play to wide receiver DeVonta Smith to the Broncos' 21-yard line. However, an illegal shift penalty on Barkley negated the 4th-down conversion, forcing a punt. The Broncos then drove down the field and forced the Eagles to use all of their team timeouts. A 36-yard field goal by Lutz gave the Broncos a 21–17 lead with only 1:14 remaining in the game. The drive was extended as the result a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Eagles' linebacker Zack Baun, after Broncos' running back RJ Harvey was stopped just short of a first down on a 3rd-and-2 at the Eagles' 29-yard line. After Broncos' safety JL Skinner was flagged for pass interference on a 4th-down play near midfield, the Eagles had one last play at the Broncos 29-yard line with three seconds remaining. Hurts' hail mary pass into the back of the end zone intended for wide receivers Smith and A. J. Brown was well defended by several Broncos' defenders, falling incomplete as time expired to seal the upset. The Broncos' defense recorded six sacks of Hurts, and the Broncos won in Philadelphia for only the second time in eight tries—their only other road win over the Eagles was a 33–7 victory in 1986.^[189][188]

With the win, the Broncos snapped the Eagles’ 10-game overall winning streak and their 12-game home winning streak, handing Philadelphia its first loss of the season.^[190][191] Additionally, head coach Sean Payton surpassed Bill Parcells and tied for 14th on the NFL’s all-time head coaching wins list.^[192]

NFL London games

The game began with an exchange of field goals by both placekickers—52- and 41-yarders by the Jets' Nick Folk, and a 57-yarder by the Broncos' Wil Lutz in between. The Jets' first field goal occurred after a Broncos' fumble, and the second field goal was set up by a 72-yard kickoff return by return specialist Kene Nwangwu. The Broncos took a 10–6 lead at the end of the first quarter, with the game's only touchdown—a 16-yard pass from quarterback Bo Nix to tight end Nate Adkins. Following a scoreless second quarter, a 38-yard field goal by Folk on the opening possession of the third quarter narrowed the Broncos' lead to 10–9. Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos were backed up to their own goal line, and the Jets took an 11–10 lead, after Broncos' tackle Garett Bolles was penalized for offensive holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Following a defensive struggle, the Broncos re-claimed the lead, with a 27-yard field goal by Lutz with 5:09 remaining in the game. Both teams went three-and-out on their next offensive possessions, and the Jets had one last possession at their own 43-yard line with 2:23 remaining in the game. After five plays, the Jets' faced a 4th-and-8 at the Broncos' 44-yard line; however, quarterback Justin Fields was sacked, ending the Jets' rally attempt. The Broncos' defense recorded nine sacks on Fields, and held the Jets to just 82 total net yards on offense. The Broncos also limited the Jets to −10 net passing yards, setting a franchise record for the fewest passing yards allowed in a single game. It was the lowest total by any NFL team since the San Diego Chargers recorded −19 passing yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998.^{[193][194][195]}

The Broncos' offense struggled through the first three quarters, failing to cross midfield on seven of their first eight possessions. The only exception was a 13-play, 64-yard drive, in which the Broncos' failed to convert a 4th-and-goal at the Giants' 2-yard line. Giants' rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart connected on two touchdown passes—a 44-yarder to tight end Daniel Bellinger in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 13-yarder to running back Cameron Skattebo. However, placekicker Jude McAtamney missed wide-left on the extra point attempt. The Giants added to their lead at the 2:47 mark of the third quarter, with a 31-yard touchdown run by running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.; however, the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 19–0.^[196]

The Broncos then started their monumental comeback, and finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Bo Nix completing a short 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Franklin, coupled with a successful 2-point conversion pass from Nix to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. The Giants responded on their next possession, with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Dart to tight end Theo Johnson. The Broncos subsequently cut into the Giants' lead, with Nix scrambling right for a 7-yard touchdown, coupled with another successful two-point conversion—from Nix to Franklin—with 5:19 remaining in the game. On the third play of the Giants' next possession, Dart was intercepted by Broncos' linebacker Justin Strnad deep in Giants territory. The Broncos capitalized on the turnover four plays later, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Nix to running back RJ Harvey. After the Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out of the Giants' offense, the Broncos took their first lead just after the two-minute warning, with Nix scrambling left for an 18-yard touchdown. The Giants quickly responded, and with only 40 seconds left, Dart dove into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. However, McAtamney missed another extra point attempt, leaving the Giants with a 32–30 lead. McAtamney's two missed extra points, coupled with the unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt after their third touchdown, would all prove costly. With no timeouts, Nix engineered a game-winning drive, reaching the Giants' 21-yard line and a clock-stopping spike with only three seconds left. Placekicker Wil Lutz kicked the game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired, capping off a 33-point scoring output in the fourth quarter.^[196]

The Broncos' stunning comeback snapped an NFL-record streak of 1,602 consecutive wins by teams leading by 18 or more points in the final six minutes of a game.^[197] Trailing 26–8 with 6:38 remaining and facing a fourth-and-3, the Broncos' win probability dropped to as low as 0.7% according to Next Gen Stats.^[198] Denver's 33 points in the fourth quarter are the most in NFL history by any team that had been shut out through the first three quarters. Quarterback Bo Nix became the first player in league history to run for two touchdowns and throw for two more in a single fourth quarter. The Broncos' 33-point quarter was the second-highest in NFL history, behind only a 34-point performance by the Lions in the 2007 season.^[199]

After an interception by Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix led to an early Cowboys' field goal, the Broncos dominated the remainder of the game. Nix threw four touchdown passes, and running back RJ Harvey scored three touchdowns—two rushing, one receiving. The Cowboys never got any closer than a 10-point deficit in the second half. With the win, the Broncos increased their winning streak over the Cowboys to eight, dating back to 1998,^[200] and the Broncos improved to 6–2 for the first time since 2016.^[201]

The game started with unsuccessful field goal attempts by both placekickers—the Texans' Ka'imi Fairbairn missed wide-right on a 51-yard attempt, and the Broncos' Wil Lutz had his 51-yard attempt blocked. Two field goals by Fairbairn—a 23-yarder at the end of the first quarter, followed by a 41-yarder midway through the second quarter—gave the Texans a 6–0 lead. The latter field goal occurred after an interception by Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix. Texans' quarterback C. J. Stroud was knocked out of the game with a concussion prior to the second field goal, and backup quarterback Davis Mills took over for the remainder of the game. The Broncos got on the scoreboard, with Nix throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. A 38-yard field goal by Fairbairn just after the two-minute warning gave the lead back to the Texans, and after Broncos' return specialist Michael Bandy muffed a punt, Fairbairn added a 40-yard field goal at the end of the first half. The Broncos' offense struggled against the Texans' No. 1-ranked defense, going three-and-out on two of their three third quarter possessions. Fairbairn's fifth field goal of the game—a 41-yarder midway through the third quarter—gave the Texans a 15–7 lead, which would be the final scoring play that the Broncos' defense would allow for the remainder of the game. The Broncos reached the end zone early in the fourth quarter, with Nix connecting on a 27-yard touchdown pass to running back RJ Harvey, followed by a successful two-point conversion to wide receiver Troy Franklin—to tie the score at 15–15. Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos started their final possession of the game at their own 36-yard line with only 50 seconds remaining in the game. The Broncos reached the Texans' 16-yard line in five plays, keyed by two scrambles by Nix totaling 41 yards, and in the process, forcing the Texans to use the last two of their three team timeouts. This set up Lutz with the game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired.^[202]

With their third comeback victory of the season, the Broncos improved to their first 7–2 start since 2015. Tight end Marcedes Lewis made history when, at age 41, he became the oldest tight end ever to play in an NFL game. Additionally, when he entered the game on the fourth snap of the Broncos’ first drive, he also became the oldest player to appear in a game for the franchise in its history.^[203]

The entire game was a defensive struggle by both teams, with the Broncos and Raiders going a combined 9-for-30 on third down and also featuring numerous penalties. The Raiders took the early lead, with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty rushing for a 4-yard touchdown. It was the only scoring play that the Broncos' defense allowed during the entire game. The Raiders committed two costly penalties that negated two big plays—a 32-yard run by Jeanty that was denied by a holding call late in the first quarter, followed by a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Geno Smith to wide receiver Tre Tucker that was denied by offensive pass interference. The Broncos responded in the second quarter, with a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix to wide receiver Troy Franklin. Each placekicker missed a field goal—the Broncos' Wil Lutz missed short on a 59-yard attempt, while the Raiders' Daniel Carlson missed wide-right later on a 48-yard attempt later in the fourth quarter. Late in the third quarter, the Broncos made a crucial special teams play, with safety JL Skinner blocking a punt by the Raiders' AJ Cole deep in Raiders' territory. The Broncos were forced to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Lutz, after losing 2-yards. This gave the Broncos a 10–7 lead, and it was the final scoring play of the game. The Broncos started their final offensive possession of the game with 4:26 left in the game, and proceeded to run out the clock.^[204]

All of the first half scoring came by way of each placekicker—29- and 24-yard field goals by the Broncos' Wil Lutz, followed by a pair of 31-yard field goals by the Chiefs' Harrison Butker. On the opening possession of the second half, Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes was intercepted by Broncos' cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, and the Broncos capitalized 11 plays later, with their only touchdown of the game—a 4-yard run by running back Jaleel McLaughlin. The Chiefs responded, with a 2-yard touchdown by running back Kareem Hunt. After a 38-yard field goal by Lutz gave the Broncos a 16–13 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs took their first lead of the game, with Mahomes connecting on a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce. However, Butker's extra point attempt was blocked by Broncos' lineman Frank Crum, leaving the score at 19–16. Following an exchange of punts, a 54-yard field goal by Lutz tied the game at 19–19 at the 4:15 mark of the fourth quarter. The Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out, which included an 11-yard sack of Mahomes by McMillian on a 3rd-and-10.^[205]

The Broncos started their final offensive possession with 2:59 remaining in the game. Quarterback Bo Nix completed two third-down passes to wide receiver Courtland Sutton for two crucial first downs, forcing the Chiefs to use all of their team timeouts after reaching the 15-yard line. With only three seconds on the clock, Lutz kicked the game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired, earning the team's revenge for the previous season’s meeting in Kansas City, where Lutz’s potential game-winning field goal as time expired was blocked. The Broncos extended their home win streak to 11 games and improved to 9–2, and also winning eight straight for the first time since 2012.^[205]

Two 33-yard field goals by placekicker Wil Lutz gave the Broncos a 6–0 lead midway through the second quarter. The latter field goal occurred after an interception of Commanders' backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who was playing in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. Each team proceeded to alternate touchdown-scoring drives. First, the Commanders grabbed the lead, with an 8-yard run by running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. Then, Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix connected on an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Then, Mariota threw a 5-yard pass to wide receiver Treylon Burks on the opening possession of the second half, and a 1-yard touchdown rush by running back RJ Harvey gave the Broncos a 20–14 lead later in the third quarter. On the Broncos' next possession, Nix was intercepted by linebacker Bobby Wagner early in the fourth quarter, and the Commanders capitalized, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Jake Moody. Each team proceeded to exchange punts, until the Commanders had the last possession with exactly three minutes left in the fourth quarter. With only four seconds left, a 32-yard field goal by Moody sent the game to overtime, tied at 20–20.^[206]

The Commanders won the overtime coin toss, but deferred to the Broncos, and the Broncos took the opening possession of overtime. Five plays in, a 5-yard touchdown run by Harvey gave the Broncos a 27–20 lead. The Commanders had a response, and on the fifth play, Mariota was intercepted by Broncos' safety Brandon Jones; however, a defensive pass interference penalty on safety Talanoa Hufanga negated the interception, giving the Commanders a new set of downs at the Broncos' 41-yard line. With 2:50 remaining in overtime, the Commanders faced a 4th-and-goal at the 3-yard line, and Mariota threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin. However, instead of tying the game, the Commanders opted for a potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt. Mariota's pass attempt was batted away by Broncos' linebacker Nik Bonitto, allowing the Broncos to hold on for the 27–26 victory.^[206]

With another comeback win, the Broncos became the first team in NFL history to record nine consecutive comeback victories.^[207]

Each team scored on their opening possession—an 8-yard touchdown run by Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix, followed by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Raiders' quarterback Geno Smith to tight end Brock Bowers at the end of the first quarter. The Broncos then scored 17 unanswered points. First, return specialist Marvin Mims returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown. Then, running back RJ Harvey rushed for a 3-yard touchdown at the 4:10 mark of the third quarter. Finally, a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach. After Smith exited the game with a shoulder injury at the end of the third quarter, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett entered the game, and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Shedrick Jackson just before the two-minute warning. After a Broncos' punt, and with no timeouts, the Raiders were only able to settle for a game-ending 46-yard field goal by placekicker Daniel Carlson. The Broncos swept the Raiders in consecutive seasons for the first time since three consecutive season sweeps from 2012–2014. The Broncos secured their 10th straight win for the first time since 2012 and improved to 11–2 for the first time since 2013. With the Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Houston Texans later that night, this would ensure that the AFC West would have a new division champion for the first time since 2015.^[208]

The Packers took the early lead, with two field goals by placekicker Brandon McManus, who played with the Broncos from 2014–2022. The first field goal occurred after Broncos' running back RJ Harvey lost a fumble on the game's opening possession. The Broncos got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter, with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix to wide receiver Michael Bandy. The Packers responded, when quarterback Jordan Love connected with running back Josh Jacobs on a 14-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos re-took the lead at the two-minute warning, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Nix to running back Lil'Jordan Humphrey. A 35-yard field goal by McManus gave the Packers a 16–14 lead at halftime, and the Packers added to their lead on the opening possession of the second half, with a 40-yard touchdown run by Jacobs. After the Broncos went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, the Packers were threatening to add to their lead; however, on the first play from scrimmage, Love was intercepted by Broncos' cornerback Patrick Surtain II—his first interception of the season. The Broncos capitalized, with Nix throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. After forcing the Packers' first punt of the game, Nix's fourth touchdown pass—a 23-yarder to wide receiver Troy Franklin—gave the Broncos a lead at the end of the third quarter that they would not relinquish. A two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 27–23. After a 37-yard field goal by McManus, a 4-yard touchdown run by Harvey increased the lead to 34–26. After using all of their team timeouts, the Packers had one last possession with one minute remaining in the game. However, Love threw four consecutive incomplete passes, sealing with win for Broncos, and in the process, the Broncos became the first AFC team to clinch a playoff berth.^[209]

After both teams exchanged punts to begin the game, the Broncos drove down the field; however, placekicker Wil Lutz hit the right upright on a 44-yard field goal attempt. The Jaguars took the lead at the end of the first quarter, with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Parker Washington. The Broncos responded by scoring 10 unanswered points to take a 10–7 lead, with a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, followed by a 54-yard field goal by Lutz. The Jaguars responded with 10 unanswered points of their own, with Lawrence connecting on a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brenton Strange, followed by a 47-yard field goal by placekicker Cam Little as time expired at the end of the first half. A 38-yard touchdown run by Broncos' running back RJ Harvey on the opening possession of the second half tied the game at 17–17. However, the Jaguars reeled off 17 unanswered points and took control of the game. Lawrence rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, then connected on a 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Travis Etienne, and Little added a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. A 21-yard field goal by Lutz was as close as the Broncos would get, and Nix later threw an interception that would end any chances of a Broncos' rally, and also ending the Broncos' in-season 11-game winning streak and 12-game home win streak.^[210]

Christmas Day games

Though the Broncos entered the game as double-digit favorites and faced the Chiefs’ third-string quarterback, Chris Oladokun, they struggled to put away Kansas City. Oladokun was placing in place of regular starter Patrick Mahomes and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, both of whom suffered season-ending knee injuries during the Chiefs' two previous games. The Broncos began by driving down the field, and reached the red zone, but failed to reach the end zone, and were forced to settle on a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz midway through the first quarter. Following an interception by Broncos' quarterback Bo Nix, the Chiefs scored a touchdown on the following possession, with Oladokun connecting on a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Brashard Smith. Following an exchange of punts, a 30-yard field goal by Lutz gave pulled the Broncos to within a 7–6 deficit at halftime. After a 53-yard field goal by Chiefs' placekicker Harrison Butker on the opening possession of the second half, the Broncos took a 13–10 lead late in the third quarter, with Nix scrambling for a 9-yard touchdown. A 47-yard field goal by Butker tied the game at 13–13 with eight minutes remaining. The game-deciding play occurred late in the fourth quarter, when the Broncos faced a 4th-and-2 inside the Chiefs' 10-yard line, but did not intend to snap the ball. Chiefs' defensive tackle Chris Jones jumped off-sides, giving the Broncos a fresh set of downs, which led to the go-ahead and eventual game-winning 1-yard touchdown pass from Nix to running back RJ Harvey. The Chiefs' had one last possession, but with 20 seconds remaining and facing a 4th-and-8 at the Broncos' 26-yard line, Oladokun overthrew wide receiver Marquise Brown in the end zone.^[211]

With the win, the Broncos snapped a nine-game road losing streak at Arrowhead Stadium and recorded their first season sweep of the Chiefs since 2014. Following the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Houston Texans two days later, the Broncos clinched the AFC West—their first division title since their 2015 Super Bowl-winning season.^[211]

The Chargers rested several key starters, including quarterback Justin Herbert, giving Denver an advantage. The Broncos' defense only allowed one scoring play—a 30-yard field goal by placekicker Cameron Dicker. However, the Broncos failed to score an offensive touchdown, settling for four field goals by placekicker Wil Lutz. The game's only touchdown occurred in the first quarter, when cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian returned an interception off Chargers backup quarterback Trey Lance 45 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the Broncos clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye for the first time since 2015.^[212] With a 14–3 record, they also tied a franchise record for wins in a single season, previously set in 1998.^[213] They were set to host the No. 6 seed Buffalo Bills on January 17, 2026 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(1) Denver Broncos	14	3	0	.824	5–1	9–3	401	311	W2
(7) Los Angeles Chargers	11	6	0	.647	5–1	8–4	368	340	L2
Kansas City Chiefs	6	11	0	.353	1–5	3–9	362	328	L6
Las Vegas Raiders	3	14	0	.176	1–5	3–9	241	432	W1

AFC
Seed	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	Denver Broncos	West	14	3	0	.824	5–1	9–3	.422	.378	W2
2[a]	New England Patriots	East	14	3	0	.824	5–1	9–3	.391	.370	W3
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	13	4	0	.765	5–1	10–2	.478	.425	W8
4	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	10	7	0	.588	4–2	8–4	.503	.453	W1
Wild cards
5[b]	Houston Texans	South	12	5	0	.706	5–1	10–2	.522	.441	W9
6[b]	Buffalo Bills	East	12	5	0	.706	4–2	9–3	.471	.412	W1
7	Los Angeles Chargers	West	11	6	0	.647	5–1	8–4	.469	.425	L2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[c]	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	9	0	.471	2–4	6–6	.540	.382	L7
9[c]	Baltimore Ravens	North	8	9	0	.471	3–3	5–7	.507	.408	L1
10	Miami Dolphins	East	7	10	0	.412	3–3	3–9	.488	.378	L1
11[d]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	6	11	0	.353	3–3	5–7	.521	.451	L1
12[d]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	6	11	0	.353	1–5	3–9	.514	.363	L6
13	Cleveland Browns	North	5	12	0	.294	2–4	4–8	.486	.418	W2
14[e]	Las Vegas Raiders	West	3	14	0	.176	1–5	3–9	.538	.451	W1
15[e][f]	New York Jets	East	3	14	0	.176	0–6	2–10	.552	.373	L5
16[e][f]	Tennessee Titans	South	3	14	0	.176	0–6	2–10	.574	.275	L2

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Bo Nix	3,931
Passing touchdowns	Bo Nix	25
Rushing yards	J. K. Dobbins	772
Rushing touchdowns	RJ Harvey	7
Receptions	Courtland Sutton	74
Receiving yards	Courtland Sutton	1,017
Receiving touchdowns	Courtland Sutton	7
Points	Wil Lutz	123
Kickoff return yards	Marvin Mims	658
Punt return yards	Marvin Mims	452
Tackles	Alex Singleton	135
Sacks	Nik Bonitto	14
Forced fumbles	Nik Bonitto Ja'Quan McMillian	2
Interceptions	Ja'Quan McMillian Dondrea Tillman	2

Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.^[214]

Offense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 342.6 YPG 10th Yards per play 5.3 T–15th Rushing yards 118.7 YPG 16th Yards per rush 4.4 T–13th Passing yards 223.9 YPG 11th Yards per pass 6.4 T–27th Pass completions 388/613 (.633) 20th Total touchdowns 45 T–14th Rushing touchdowns 18 T–11th Receiving touchdowns 25 T–16th Scoring 23.6 PPG 14th Red Zone Touchdowns 33/57 (.579) 13th Third down efficiency 96/233 (.412) T–10th Fourth down efficiency 10/20 (.500) T–22nd First downs per game 19.6 T–14th Fewest sacks allowed 23 T–1st Fewest giveaways 17 T–11th Fewest penalties 124 28th Least penalty yardage 1,149 32nd

Defense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 278.2 YPG 2nd Yards per play 4.5 1st Rushing yards 91.1 YPG 2nd Yards per rush 3.9 T–2nd Passing yards 187.2 YPG 7th Yards per pass 6.1 2nd Pass completions 343/593 (.578) 2nd Total touchdowns 29 1st Rushing touchdowns 11 T–4th Receiving touchdowns 18 T–4th Scoring 18.3 PPG 3rd Red Zone Touchdowns 20/47 (.426) 1st Third down efficiency 80/237 (.338) 2nd Fourth down efficiency 14/27 (.519) 11th First downs per game 17.6 T–6th Sacks 68 * 1st Takeaways 14 T–26th Fewest penalties 118 26th Least penalty yardage 843 15th

Special teams Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Gross punting 47.6 YPP T–14th Net punting 41.1 YPP 19th Kickoffs 62.0 YPK 4th Punt returns 14.1 YPR 4th Kick returns 25.3 YPR 21st Punt coverage 10.6 YPR T–18th Kick coverage 27.6 YPR 26th

*	Indicates franchise record[215]

Source for this section: Pro-Football Reference.^[216]

Position	Player	Age	Years pro	Starts
Offense
QB	Bo Nix	25	1	17
RB	J. K. Dobbins	27	5	9
RB	RJ Harvey	24	Rookie	7
WR	Courtland Sutton	30	7	16
WR	Troy Franklin	22	1	7
TE	Adam Trautman	28	5	12
LT	Garett Bolles	33	8	17
LG	Alex Palczewski	26	1	10
C	Luke Wattenberg	28	3	15
RG	Quinn Meinerz	27	4	17
RT	Mike McGlinchey	31	7	17
Defense
LDE	Zach Allen	28	6	17
DT	D. J. Jones	30	8	14
RDE	John Franklin-Myers	29	7	15
LOLB	Jonathon Cooper	27	4	17
LILB	Alex Singleton	32	6	16
RILB	Justin Strnad	29	4	8
ROLB	Nik Bonitto	26	3	16
LCB	Patrick Surtain II	25	4	14
SS	Talanoa Hufanga	26	4	17
FS	Brandon Jones	27	5	13
RCB	Riley Moss	25	2	17

Source for this section: Pro-Football Reference.^[217]

Position	Player	Times captain
Offense
QB	Bo Nix	2
WR	Courtland Sutton	5
G	Quinn Meinerz	2
Defense
DT	D. J. Jones	1
ILB	Alex Singleton	3
CB	Patrick Surtain II	2
S	Talanoa Hufanga	1
Special Teams
K	Wil Lutz	2

Source for this section: Denver Broncos.^[218]

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Sources
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 17	Buffalo Bills (6)	W 33–30 (OT)	1–0	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
AFC Championship	January 25	New England Patriots (2)	L 7–10	1–1	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap

The Broncos played their first playoff game in Denver since 2016 and took an early lead over Buffalo thanks to a Wil Lutz field goal. However, the Bills took the lead when Josh Allen found Mecole Hardman, giving them the lead after a Broncos third and out. Linebacker Alex Singleton forced running back James Cook to fumble the ball, the Broncos took advantage and the lead on their next possession when Bo Nix found offensive lineman Frank Crum for the touchdown, which was Crum's first in the NFL. Buffalo kicked a field goal to tie the game, but Nix found Lil'Jordan Humphrey to give Denver a seven-point lead, which the Broncos extended to 10 following a force fumble by Nik Bonitto that saw them kick a field goal before the half. Coming out of the half, Bonitto stripped the ball from Allen and that set up a 33-yard field goal for Lutz to give Denver a 13 point lead. However, Buffalo responded and scored a touchdown on their next possession. After both teams exchanged interceptions, the Bills took the lead when Allen found tight end Dalton Kincaid for another touchdown and after a third and out by the Broncos, the Bills drove down the field but were held to a field goal. The Broncos responded and took a 30–27 lead on a Marvin Mims touchdown with less than a minute in regulation, but Buffalo drove down the field and tied the game at 30 with five seconds left, forcing the game to overtime. After the Broncos punted on their first possession, Allen threw an interception to cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian on the Bills' first and only possession of the overtime period. The Broncos drove down the field, and thanks to two defensive pass interference penalties, kicked the game winning field goal, giving them their first playoff win since Super Bowl 50. After the game, it was announced that Nix had suffered a season-ending broken ankle and would undergo surgery.^[219]

This game reached an average of approximately 39.6 million viewers, with a peak of approximately 51.3 million viewers during overtime. It became the most-watched Saturday sports telecast since the 1994 Winter Olympics, and also became the most-watched Saturday afternoon telecast in American television history.^[220]

After both teams traded punts to begin the game, a 53-yard completion by Jarrett Stidham filling in for the injured Bo Nix to Marvin Mims set up a 6-yard Touchdown from Stidham to Courtland Sutton for the Broncos only points of the game, after both teams traded punts, the Broncos had a 4th and 1 at the New England 14 but Stidham's pass was incomplete and turning over the ball on downs. After forcing a New England punt, Stidham was stripped sacked and New England scored a Touchdown to tie the game at 7, after both teams exchanged punts both teams missed field goals to end the half. Out of the 2nd half New England scored a Field Goal on a long drive which proved to be the last score of the game. After the Broncos went 3 and out, New England drove down the field but a Missed Field Goal kept the game at 10-7, after both teams exchanged punts twice, the Broncos had the ball at New England 33 yard line however after earning only five yards on three plays, Kicker Wil Lutz had his kick blocked keeping the score at 10-7. After forcing a New England punt, the Broncos had one last chance to tie the game or win it however Stidham threw an interception with only 2:18 left and New England earned a first down on their next possession, ending the game and the Broncos impressive season with their first home playoff loss to New England in team history (first overall since 2011).^[221]

Rank	Player	Position	Change
10	Patrick Surtain II	CB	42
38	Nik Bonitto	LB	NR
64	Bo Nix	QB	NR
90	Zach Allen	DE	NR

Week	Award(s)	Recipient	Source
1	NFLPA Community MVP	T Garett Bolles	[222]
4	NFLPA Community MVP	WR Trent Sherfield	[223]
5	AFC Defensive Player of the Week	LB Nik Bonitto	[224]
6	AFC Defensive Player of the Week	LB Jonathon Cooper	[225]
8	NFL Rookie of the Week	RB RJ Harvey	[226]
11	AFC Special Teams Player of the Week	K Wil Lutz	[227]
14	AFC Special Teams Player of the Week	WR/RS Marvin Mims	[228]
15	FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week	QB Bo Nix	[229]

Month	Award(s)	Recipient	Source
October	AFC Special Teams Player of the Month	K Wil Lutz	[230]

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton, offensive tackle Garett Bolles, guard Quinn Meinerz, defensive lineman Zach Allen, linebacker Nik Bonitto, and cornerback Patrick Surtain II were selected to the Pro Bowl. Bolles, Meinerz, Allen, as well as special teamer Devon Key were first team All-Pro selections, while Surtain and safety Talanoa Hufanga made the second team.

Punter Jeremy Crawshaw was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

• Official website
• Denver Broncos news, analysis, roster, stats — The Denver Post
• NFL Nation Blog – ESPN