Denver faces a gauntlet of elite opponents in a grueling slate that could clear a path for Los Angeles to dominate the AFC West next season.
Los Angeles Chargers fans are not ones to give sympathy to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos' 2026 NFL schedule might be a rare exception.
The Broncos face a brutal schedule, and that much was already expected. Denver has to face an already tough AFC West division and is slated to face the NFC West and AFC East. Albeit the order of the team's schedule is what has caught the attention of the NFL world.
Denver's schedule starts off with a bang. The Broncos start the season on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that has won three Super Bowls in the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes II Era. From there, the team faces five consecutive playoff squads from a season ago in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
From Week 7 to Week 15, the Broncos face just two playoff teams from last season in the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Then from Week 16 through Week 18, the Broncos face the Buffalo Bills (12-5), New England Patriots (14-3) and Los Angeles Chargers (11-6).
Fox Sports radio and television host Colin Cowherd discussed the Broncos' difficult schedule on his show. Here's what Cowherd had to say about the NFL's schedule order for Denver for the 2026 season.
“I’m not a conspiracy guy, but I believe this. I think Sean Payton has a mixed relationship with the league office. He’s taken shots at quarterbacks, he’s taken shots at coaches. NFL does not like friendly fire. Zip it.
Look at Denver’s schedule, they’re punishing them. That’s the toughest six-game schedule I have ever seen in my entire life, and I’m a geek on this stuff. I am a nerd on schedules. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Facing 10 postseason caliber teams from 2025 is certainly difficult in its own right. Facing a string of them in succession to start and conclude the 2026 season is borderline suspicious.
To be sure, the Chargers face a tough road as well. Albeit they dodge the no breaks nature of the Broncos' schedule of games.
Whether or not the NFL unintentionally clumped Denver's difficult games together or did it on purpose is unknown. It does, however, increase the likelihood that Los Angeles can overtake their division rivals to win the AFC West. The Chargers will look to start off fast in mid-September.