The Denver Broncos are projected to make the playoffs after the 2025-26 season, per statistical models and on FOX Sports reporter.
Not only that, but the same Henry McKenna of FOX Sports is picking Denver to win the AFC West.
Yes, these predictions are way too early, but no one can deny the Broncos are on the rise in the Chiefs-dominated division.
Denver Broncos projected to make playoffs for second straight year
After an agonizing eight-year run of missing the playoffs, the Broncos made it back to the postseason in last year and are on schedule to make the playoffs again this season.
They have a legitimate starting quarterback in Bo Nix and added a star tight end in Evan Engram this offseason. Defensively, Denver was the best sacking team in the league and top-3 in both points allowed (18.3 PPG) and red zone percentage (46.9%).
And running the team is an experienced winner in Sean Payton as head coach. This time last year, the Broncos over/under win total for 2024 was 5.5 games.
Payton said of the number, “The next time I only win six games in a season will be the first.” And Denver ended up going 10-7.
This year, the number-crunching machines and human analysts are higher on Denver. Mike Clay’s projections have Denver at 9.7 wins, with Kansas City at 10.0. And the Las Vegas folks have the Broncos at a 9.5 O/U win total this year.
10 wins should be enough to make the playoffs, and the SportsLine Projection Model gives Denver a 55.7% chance of making it back into the postseason.
The top-9 projected teams in the AFC per SportsLine’s model.
Without a doubt, Payton has turned this team around in a hurry. They were competitive in 2023, and playoff-bound in 2024. If Payton stays coaching in the Mile High City for a while, Denver may enjoy a long run of postseason berths.
Denver as the new AFC West champion?
While multiple different statistical models predict the Broncos will make the playoffs in the 2025-26 season, one FOX Sports analyst has gone even further.
Henry McKenna not only predicted this season’s playoff teams, he created a bracket and went through the matchups.
In his bracket, the Broncos will win the AFC West and earn the No. 3 seed, while the Chiefs will be the 6 seed. That would mean the two will go head-to-head in the Wild Card Round.
Henry McKenna’s way-too-early playoff predictions.
If this did play out, not only would the Broncos and Chiefs play three times in the season, but they’d also play only two weeks apart.
Denver heads to Kansas City for a Week 17 Christmas Day game, then face the Chargers in Week 18. The playoffs kick off the next week.
McKenna didn’t just pick the Broncos to win the West, he says they’ll beat the Chiefs 13-10 and then lose to the Bills for a second straight year in the Divisional Round 17-14.
In his prediction, the Bills become the eventual Super Bowl LX Champions in a 27-26 win over the LA Rams.
Considering we’re still in May, this is certainly a “way-too-early” guess. But instead of being a laughing stock of the league, the Broncos are being looked at as playoff contenders now. Both by statistical predictive models and analysts.
That’s a move in the right direction.
Denver Broncos projected to make playoffs again, even win AFC West Mile High Sports.
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