The Denver Broncos aren’t getting a ton of respect from the oddsmakers to win the Super Bowl next season.
One popular book has them with the 12th best shot in the NFL to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 370 days.
That’s a little strange, given the fact they just went to the AFC Title Game and played it without their franchise QB in Bo Nix.
But that doesn’t mean the Broncos aren’t getting respect in other ways after an incredible 2025 in which Denver went 14-3 and earned the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports came out with his way-too-early Power Rankings right after the Seahawks dismantled the Patriots and the Broncos are No. 1 on his list.
🚨 Way-too-early 2026 NFL power rankings following Super Bowl LX 🚨
Read more: https://t.co/F4yC8tZ0w8 pic.twitter.com/WPgm4lbL6g
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 9, 2026
“Let’s be honest: The Patriots don’t get to the Super Bowl if QB Bo Nix doesn’t fracture his ankle one week earlier,” Vacchiano begins.
That’s a sentiment that many on this site and on the air with Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan have expressed. The Patriots received a gift in the AFC Championship facing Jarrett Stidham. He had a bad fumble that handed New England seven of its 10 points on that snowy Sunday.
The outcome almost assuredly would’ve been different with Nix, who fractured his ankle in OT against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round.
“(Nix) will be back with the NFL’s best coach (Sean Payton), a punishing defense, hopefully another receiver, and a battle-tested team that should be hard to beat,” Vacchiano concluded.
It’s a strong case for the Broncos, as they’re set at quarterback, head coach and have an elite defense. The rest of Vacchiano’s top-5 is the Rams, Seahawks, Patriots and Eagles. In the AFC West, the Chargers are No. 9, the Chiefs No. 11 and the Raiders No. 30.
We’ve got a long offseason to debate all this, but even with the disappointment of how 2025 ended, this should put a little spring in the step of Broncos Country the day after the Super Bowl.
