Jan. 31, 2026, 4:03 a.m. MT

Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages, and it was re-shared here with permission.

The Broncos 2025 season ended on Sunday a couple of plays away from the Super Bowl. The AFC Championship game went the way most Bronco’s games went this year. Great defense, low scoring, with a chance to win in the fourth quarter. The team missed quarterback and leader Bo Nix when it was time to put together that winning fourth quarter drive. All season long he had orchestrated fourth quarter magic. Knowing you can count on someone to come through in the clutch, when the pressure is on, is a rare thing. Not just in football but anywhere. I played my whole 12 year NFL career with John Elway who also had that skill. As a defense, we knew if we kept the game close, John and the offense would win the game at the end. That’s how this year’s iteration of the Broncos worked too. But in this game Bo Nix was in the stands, injured. When the fourth quarter came, and it was time to put together a game winning drive, backup quarterback Jarret Stidum wasn’t up to the task. A poorly thrown interception ended Denver’s Super Bowl hopes.

I played in 4 AFC Championship games. This year’s game was eerily like the 1991-92 Championship game when we lost to Buffalo by the same 10-7 score. Buffalo scored on an intercepted Elway screen pass and a field goal. Broncos’ backup quarterback Gary Kubiak led us on a fourth quarter drive for a touchdown with less than 2 minutes left. We recovered an onside kick and had time to win or at least tie the game. Our Super Bowl hopes ended with a lost fumble in Bill’s territory.

As a Broncos fan it was awesome to see this year’s team improve to the point of Super Bowl contention. Back-to-back playoff appearances and winning seasons happened because Broncos’ ownership and leadership is committed to winning and continuing our long tradition of championship football in Denver. The Walton Penner group is in the process of upgrading the practice facility and has announced plans to build a new [retractable roof] stadium. They are investing in the team and are committed to winning championships and serving Broncos Country. Go Broncos!

Mecklenburg played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1994, earning six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his decorated career in the NFL. Mecklenburg is now a motivational keynote speaker. You can book Mecklenburg on his website. 

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