Broncos Announce 2026 Schedule, Which Features Brutal Opening Six-Game Stretch
The Denver Broncos’ 2026 schedule was unveiled Thursday, and they will be thrown directly into the fire to open the season.
Denver will open the 2026 campaign against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on “Monday Night Football.” Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes may be available for the contest after tearing his ACL and LCL this past December. It will be the first time the Broncos start a season at Kansas City.
After the Week 1 duel with the Chiefs, Denver will play five consecutive 2025 playoff teams. The Broncos will host the Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 2) and Los Angeles Rams (Week 3), visit the San Francisco 49ers (Week 4) and Los Angeles Chargers (Week 5), and then host the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (Week 6). Denver’s clashes with the Rams and Seahawks will be on “Sunday Night Football” and “Thursday Night Football,” respectively.
The Broncos will then take on the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Week 7 before returning to Denver to clash with the Chiefs again in Week 8. The Broncos hold a 10-1-1 all-time record against the Cardinals, with their lone loss in the series coming in 2010.
In Week 9, the Broncos will take on the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in a rematch Super Bowl 50 – a contest Denver won by a score of 24-10. The Panthers won the NFC South in 2025 despite finishing with an 8-9 regular-season record.
After a Week 10 bye, Denver will host the Las Vegas Raiders (Week 11), visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 12), host the Miami Dolphins (Week 13), and visit the New York Jets (Week 14). The Broncos’ matchup with the Steelers will be on Black Friday. Denver last played the Dolphins in 2023 and suffered a humiliating 70-20 loss in that contest. The Broncos narrowly beat the Jets in ugly, low-scoring affairs in each of the past two seasons.
To finish the 2026 campaign, Denver will visit the Raiders (Week 15), host the Buffalo Bills (Week 16), visit the New England Patriots (Week 17), and host the Chargers (Week 18). The Broncos’ matchup with the Bills will be on Christmas Day.
Denver defeated Buffalo in last season’s Divisional Round before falling to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Denver’s overtime victory over the Bills and had to play New England the following weekend with Jarrett Stidham under center.
The Broncos will be tested early and often in 2026, but the schedule also presents plenty of opportunities for Denver to prove last season’s AFC West title run was no fluke.
