The Broncos’ season ended in a snowglobe Sunday, one score short of a trip to the Super Bowl. Their 10-7 loss to New England in the AFC Championship Game ended a magical run that featured 15 wins in the club’s first 18 games, an 11-game winning streak and a string of high-wire acts that had this team feeling at times like it was invincible.
It wasn’t.
Instead, the offseason arrives in bitter fashion.
Here are 7 thoughts on Denver’s final game of the 2025 season.
1. The Broncos could not have asked for a better start to Jarrett Stidham’s first start in two years, and that means this one will sting even more.
The gut reaction was to doubt.
The football world wondered.
Sean Payton, a week ago, said, “Just watch.”
He expressed steadfast confidence in his backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, for a week after his starter, Bo Nix, fractured a bone in his right ankle last weekend against Buffalo.
That confidence was about Stidham and about the rest of the Broncos’ ability to navigate a game — two, Payton figured — without Nix.
And, boy, did Denver have a golden opportunity to do just that.
Everything Payton could have asked for, the Broncos delivered early in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
The defense came out humming.
Stidham hit Marvin Mims Jr. for 52 yards on Denver’s second drive to help settle the nerves, then Courtland Sutton for a 6-yard touchdown on a beauty of a bootleg to the right.
The Broncos punted on their third drive, but dominated the field position game early. They started their first four drives at an average of their own 35.5. New England’s first four drive averaged their own 19.
When Stidham and the Broncos started moving the ball on Drive No. 4, it felt like everything was falling into place perfectly.
He hit tight end Evan Engram for the opening first down of the drive. Then Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a well-timed out-breaker to convert a third-and-3.
In all, the Broncos ran 10 plays. None of them went for more than 7 yards, but, critically, they all resulted in positive progress.
Denver looked poised to go 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-snow all the way to the Super Bowl.
Payton, too, in those first 20 or so minutes, called a terrific game. He got Stidham in enough of a rhythm and kept him enough out of harm’s way.
Stidham flirted with negative plays a couple of times early, but overall, he did what he needed to do.
Then, he came up a football short of a first down on a third-and-6 scramble and everything changed.
Payton decided to keep his offense on the field and go for it rather than kick a 31-yard field goal attempt that, given the still-docile weather, was a gimme for Wil Lutz.
A 10-point lead was good, Payton figured, but he felt like Denver had momentum and that 14 might be insurmountable.
Of course, that all backfired. Payton had a “nickel run” called, he said after the game, but then he called a timeout. He called a boot to the right instead, but the Patriots got immediate pressure, RJ Harvey had no space in the flat and Denver turned it over on downs.
The Broncos did not score again, and Stidham was not the same the rest of the way.
Before the fourth-and-1 play, Stidham was 7-of-11 for 79 yards and a touchdown. After, he went 10-of-20 for 54 yards and an interception.
“I know this. I’m going to look at it and be critical of myself,” Payton said of Stidham’s day and his offense’s outing in general.
Stidham’s big mistake came on Denver’s next offensive drive, but the Broncos shouldn’t have been working with that slim a margin in the first place.
If you’d have told Payton before the game that Stidham would throw an early touchdown and that his defense would allow 206 total yards, 12 first downs and go 10 of 12 drives, giving up one or zero first downs, he’d have asked which hotel the Broncos were staying at for Super Bowl week.
From the moment Payton found out Nix broke his ankle and was done for the season, he authored a masterclass in leadership that ran one week, one quarter and change. It put the Broncos in prime position to do what most around the league figured they couldn’t: Win an AFC title without their quarterback.
That it fell apart — and that he didn’t take a different course ahead of the snow that arrived during halftime when Denver was in advantageous position — won’t quite stack up to his worst lightning bolt postseason heartbreaks like the Minneapolis Miracle and the no-call pass interference. But it will certainly cause some restless nights over the coming days and weeks.
“There are always regrets,” he said. “I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt it was close enough that — and it is also a call you make based on the team you’re playing and what you’re watching on the other side of the ball. There will always be second thoughts.”
That call will lead the pack from this game, but more broadly, the overall inability to capitalize when, considering the week Denver had in the wake of Nix’s injury, the opening stanza of the game went so perfectly is going to hurt.
2. Just that fast, the offseason arrives and the Broncos have a clear need — which Payton alluded to after the game.
Payton and general manager George Paton have been bullish on Denver’s receiving group for two years. They love running back RJ Harvey’s potential and the rookie showed more flashes Sunday in a physical game.
Overall, though, Denver lacks juice among its offensive playmakers.
“There were a number of things that we just had to do better,” Payton said Sunday. “We didn’t finish some runs and we dropped some passes. Again, felt like that was a problem all year.”
Evan Engram had the best season for a Broncos tight end in years and it was still underwhelming at 40 catches and 461 yards. The rest of Denver’s tight ends combined for 258 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Troy Franklin’s season stat line — 65 catches for 706 yards and six TDs — will say Year 2 breakout, but it’s fair to wonder if he is a true No. 2 receiver at this point or if Courtland Sutton is a true No. 1.
Harvey is not a finished product by any stretch and Denver just didn’t get a ton of production from the other backs besides J.K. Dobbins on the roster.
The Broncos need to likely add at all three positions this offseason but they need a top-flight receiver and a difference-making tight end, perhaps more than any other element on what is a deep and solid returning roster.
Look at the barnburner of an NFC Championship Game in Seattle that followed Sunday’s tilt in Denver. The Los Angeles Rams rolled out Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at receiver, three quality tight ends and running back Kyren Williams. Seattle plays Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp at receiver and, when healthy, a dynamic running back duo in Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
Denver has to find more explosiveness in those positions, but likely will have to do so without breaking the bank. First, there may not be true top-flight talent to hit the free agent market other than perhaps Kyle Pitts, the tantalizing 25-year-old tight end who finally put together a big year in Atlanta in his contract season.
Plus, Denver will be drafting at No. 30. The Broncos will have to find talent without the benefit of a high draft pick and they have other areas they could address early in the draft, too.
3. One potential in-house solution to the issue: The guy who seems to make plays every time he gets an opportunity.
If the Broncos’ offensive coaching staff makes one vow when it turns its attention to the 2026 season over the coming weeks, how about this: Play Marvin Mims Jr. more than half of offensive snaps and see what happens.
Mims got more opportunities in the postseason because of injuries to Franklin and rookie Pat Bryant and he made the most of them.
STIDHAM GOING DEEP TO MARVIN MIMS JR. 🎯
NEvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/l56nwnx6bn— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
The third-year man had 37 catches (51 targets) for 377 yards and a touchdown in the regular season and then 12 catches (14 targets) for 155 yards and a touchdown in a pair of playoff games. He also drew the game-clinching, 30-yard pass interference penalty against Buffalo.
Sunday, he made Denver’s biggest offensive play when he ran past star cornerback Christian Gonzalez for a 52-yard gain. He might have made another big play in the first half had Stidham not zinged a well-set-up screen too wide for him in the right flat.
More broadly, Mims seems to find a way to make plays every time he gets a chance. He just doesn’t get a ton of chances.
Payton and Paton traded up for him late in the second round and made him the first draft pick of Payton’s tenure here.
In Mims’ first three seasons, though, he’s not seen more than 52 targets or played more than 34% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps.
Now he heads into the final year of his rookie deal at a crossroads. Is he a punt return specialist capable of making a big play here and there in the passing game? Or is he, despite being relatively small, a guy who can be a real, explosive, foundational piece of an offense into the future with Nix?
If this postseason was any indication, the Broncos should at least get him involved enough in 2026 to find out.
4. While we’re transitioning to offseason mode, it will be interesting to see just how much continuity the Broncos end up with defensively
The single biggest piece of that puzzle, of course, is Joseph and whether he lands a head coaching job. Either way, a strong core is set to return for the Broncos.
Perhaps the biggest player question is if Denver gets a long-term deal done with nickel Ja’Quan McMillian. He’s turned himself into one of the very best in the business and he’s just a restricted free agent, so Denver has control of his rights.
What a play in OT by Ja’Quan McMillian 😳
BUFvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/noqikIoPQC— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026
Will the Broncos bother putting a second or even a first-round tender on him? Remember, teams can put those tenders on RFAs and it gives them the right of first refusal to match any deal another team offers the player, plus a draft pick equal to the tender. So the Broncos can protect McMillian with a high-round tender. That will also mean giving him a one-year deal with a decent cap number — Over The Cap projects the 2026 first and second-round tenders at $7.83 million and $5.66 million, respectively. Denver could sign McMillian to a top-of-the-market long-term deal for a slot man and do better than that as it pertains to cap hits.
But, also, the Broncos just drafted Jahdae Barron in April and he didn’t play much because of McMillian. So, where does it go from here? Does Barron move outside and compete with Moss? Do the Broncos entertain trading McMillian, who is exactly the kind of player they’ve sought out over the past three years?
Other curiosities: What happens at inside linebacker and if the plan is as straightforward as it looks on the defensive line?
Start at linebacker. The Broncos signed Dre Greenlaw to a three-year deal in March because they felt like they needed to upgrade over Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
Greenlaw showed playmaking ability but also struggled to stay on the field, first with recurring quad injuries and then later in the season with a hamstring. He provided forceful play in run support but was not the coverage asset he made himself earlier in his career. Then again, Joseph didn’t put Greenlaw in a ton of passing situations because of the rate at which the Broncos deployed their nickel and dime packages, combined with wanting Singleton on the field at all times.
Greenlaw’s contract was structured as essentially a one-year deal, a move that felt prudent at the time and has aged well given the ‘backer’s durability issues. Denver can save $6 million on its 2026 cap while incurring about $4.3 million in dead cap charges by releasing Greenlaw, or it can retain him at a $10.4 million cap charge for 2026 the season.
Singleton and Strnad are each impending free agents and each could well command solid starting money. Will Denver be willing to give the 32-year-old Singleton, say, three years and $30 million to keep him from testing the market? Strnad could be in a similar range, given the year he had and that he’s three years younger than Singleton.
The Broncos don’t have surefire replacements in younger players, but they have seen promising signs from undrafted rookie Jordan Turner, got a solid camp from Levelle Bailey and have what amounts to a lottery ticket in the oft-injured Drew Sanders. A lot to sort through for the Broncos and their staff. If Joseph gets a head coaching job, he may well want Singleton — whom he’s been highly complimentary of throughout his time in Denver — or Strnad to come with him to help put together his next unit, too.
On the defensive line, Franklin-Myers is ticketed for free agency and should command a lucrative deal after a 7.5-sack season. One executive told The Post it wouldn’t surprise if Franklin-Myers’ market started at $15 million per year and potentially pushed up from there. Some believe he’ll be the best pass-rushing defensive lineman available in free agency.
Last year this time, it looked like D.J. Jones would hit the market, too, but the Broncos decided at the last minute to pony up and keep him. Not as likely this year with Franklin-Myers, but nothing is certain until March.
Denver looks poised to give his snaps to Eyioma Uwazurike and potentially Sai’Vion Jones.
All the same, put both defensive line and inside linebacker on the list of positions the Broncos could address with their first pick in the draft.
5. The coaching carousel is about to start spinning again and Denver’s staff figures to continue being popular
Now that the Broncos are eliminated, their coaches can not only conduct in-person, second-round interviews with any team that still has an opening, but they can also interview with teams whose openings didn’t come up until after the wild-card weekend — Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
The biggest names to watch on the head coaching front are defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb. Four teams still have coaching openings in Las Vegas, Arizona, Cleveland and Buffalo.
Joseph worked for Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill for four years as defensive coordinator from 2019-22. Webb is seen nationally as a strong candidate for the Raiders job and has described Bills quarterback Josh Allen as “my best friend.” He spent three years in Buffalo as Allen’s backup and said it’s his favorite place he ever played.
Webb just turned 31 this week, but his star is rising fast.
“I think he’s going to be a really good head coach and I think a really smart organization would hire him,” Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger told The Post recently.
Webb has impressed Ehlinger all season and was a big part of the reason Ehlinger turned down a chance at returning to Indianapolis after Daniel Jones’ injury there.
He said this week was just another example of Webb’s teaching prowess when Stidham was thrust into the starting role for the AFC title game.
“Davis has stayed the same throughout the season,” Ehlinger said. “He coaches us all individually throughout the season. So nothing really changes. He’s always asking whoever it is. If you sat in the QB room with us, you would never know who the starter is. He’s always asking questions to other guys and making sure other guys are prepared as well.”
Joseph finished his third season as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator with a flourish and should have suitors, though the pool is shrinking quickly.
Does he think the Cardinals are a good fit for him, given an overall poor roster and an unclear path forward at quarterback with Kyler Murray a candidate to be traded this offseason? Does Buffalo have interest after firing a defensive-minded head coach in Sean McDermott? Who wants the Browns’ job?
The answers to those questions should start coming relatively quickly now that Denver is out.
Meanwhile, the coordinator landscape has changed quite a bit for hopefuls like Denver secondary coach Jim Leonhard in recent days. On Sunday alone, Green Bay and the New York Giants filled their defensive coordinator spots. Those two seemed like natural candidates for Leonhard because he grew up in Wisconsin — and turned down the Packers defensive coordinator job in 2021 — and because he played for new Giants coach John Harbaugh in 2008. Leonhard also interviewed in Dallas but the Cowboys hired former Broncos secondary coach Christian Parker.
The New York Jets are still in the market, as could be the Broncos if Joseph gets a job. There are likely other possibilities as well. Plus, Denver has other young assistants who could be in line for promotions or jobs elsewhere over the next couple of weeks, including offensive quality control coach Logan Kilgore, outside linebackers coach Isaac Shewmaker, cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch, running backs coach Lou Ayeni and more.
6. Another item on the Broncos’ offseason to-do list: Extend general manager George Paton
Pretty simple here. Paton signed a six-year contract when he was first hired in 2021, meaning the 2026 season would be the last on his original deal.
After early failures like trading for and extending quarterback Russell Wilson and hiring Nathaniel Hackett, Paton has not only steadied the ship, but he’s made a terrific pair with Payton and has turned the Broncos’ roster from light on talent to one of the deepest in football.
“I’d heard so many good things about him prior to meeting him and then when I met him that day we interviewed, I found him to be just like what everyone had described,” Payton said of Paton earlier this month. “I can’t speak for him, but I really enjoy working with him. We both are passionate about the same things. I think he likes that I love scouting, and I like that he comes from a coach’s family. … We come from a lot of similar backgrounds. I enjoy him and you have to because you spend so much time together, but it’s probably one of the more undervalued aspects.
“Find me the head coach and GM tied at the hip, and then you have a chance. I feel like he and I have an extremely close relationship, trust, but also we see things in a similar fashion.”
Broncos CEO and owner Greg Penner has repeatedly expressed confidence in Paton and, considering the club appears to have a long-term solution at quarterback and is coming off an AFC title game appearance, there shouldn’t be much to consider here.
Payton’s through three seasons on a five-year deal, so perhaps the only call to make is if Penner wants to extend them in tandem or tackle Paton this offseason and Payton a year from now.
Regardless, Denver looks like it’s in position to have stability atop its football operation for years to come.
7a. A couple of more game-specific items to close this thing out
Denver engineered a touchdown on its second offensive possession of the game thanks to a 52-yard completion from Stidham to Mims Jr. After that, though, Stidham and the Broncos offense could not find any kind of rhythm. They came up empty on 10 straight possessions after the touchdown, including five punts, a turnover on downs, two missed field goals just before halftime and a Stidham interception in the fourth quarter. Most critical was Stidham’s fumble in the second quarter that set the Patriots up at Denver’s 12-yard line. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished that drive off with a 6-yard touchdown run. That sequence was part of the reason the Broncos allowed just 72 yards and four first downs in the first half and yet found themselves tied at 7 going into intermission.
7b. Payton lamented after the game that his team didn’t run the football better.
“I was frustrated,” he said. “I felt like we’d be able to run the ball more consistently. I thought that was going to be important. We felt like we had one of our better run plans going in.”
Instead, New England stymied Denver’s ground game from the start. The Broncos ran 24 times for just 79 yards and did not have a rushing play go for more than 9. They averaged 3.3 per carry for the game and 3.0 over two postseason games. Those marks sting all the more considering they may well have had Dobbins back in uniform for the Super Bowl had they survived Sunday. Denver got just 93 postseason rushing yards from its running back trio of Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie. Against New England, the team generated just two first downs on the ground. When the snow fell, the Broncos had little in the way of security on the ground.
Before Dobbins got hurt, Denver averaged 133.6 rushing yards per game and 4.9 per carry. Afterward, 96.5 and 3.7.
Again, it’s a position the Broncos will need to look at once again over the next couple of months.
7c. New England quarterback Drake Maye didn’t have a prolific outing passing, but he changed the game for the Patriots time and time again with his legs.
Maye ran seven times for 68 yards and a touchdown and almost every one of his carries did damage. The second-year Patriots quarterback generated either a touchdown or a first down on each of his first five carries of the game and six of seven overall.
First came a touchdown on a 6-yard quarterback draw. Then Maye picked up a third-and-15, a third-and-9 and a fourth-and-1, all with his legs.
He saved his best for last, beating Jonah Elliss to the edge on a game-deciding naked bootleg with less than two minutes to go. The No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 draft put together an MVP-caliber regular season by leading the NFL in completion percentage and throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, but his ability to run the ball was an underrated element the entire time.
He had 450 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season and sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl with his legs, too.
7d. Thanks for reading this year.
We’ll have you covered from the locker room cleanout Monday, through the coaching carousel, the NFL Scouting Combine in February, to free agency in March, the draft in April and around the dial again when OTAs begin in May.
It’s been a heck of a season for this Broncos team and it’s been a privilege to bring you stories from a fascinating group. Let’s do it again.
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