Perhaps Las Vegas Raiders fans were a bit naive, but the Denver Broncos came out and surprised a lot of folks last season. It was wishful thinking that they caught lightning in a bottle in 2024, but 2025 proved that the Sean Payton and Bo Nix-led team is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
And in an AFC West already full of roadblocks, that was an unwelcome development for the Silver and Black. The Broncos did fall short last year, in large part due to Nix's injury, and it seemed like they had a fairly quiet offseason, outside of a potential overpay for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
So, will they be back? Did they do enough to rekindle the flame?
To help answer those questions, we continued with our previews of the Raiders' 2026 NFL season opponents, this time, with expert Sayre Bedinger of Predominately Orange, FanSided's dedicated Broncos page. He uncovered some of the inner workings of Las Vegas' bitter rival.
Las Vegas Raiders must catch up to Denver Broncos during 2026 season
Q: After knocking on the door last season, do Broncos fans feel confident that this team will be a Super Bowl contender again in 2026?
A: The expectation among Broncos Country is absolutely for the team to be a Super Bowl contender again in 2026. After getting to the AFC Championship and proving they belong last season, the expectations among the fan base have skyrocketed. Everyone seems to finally agree that anything less than the Super Bowl is underachieving for this team in 2026
Q: What is the latest on Bo Nix's health, and is there any worry about the injury in Denver, either in the short or long term?
A: As far as Bo Nix's ankle is concerned, he was a limited participant in mandatory minicamp and said he would have been a full participant if the team had let him. They kept him limited so he could be a full participant in training camp, and that's what everyone is expecting at this stage. Long term, there might be some concern in the back of some fans' minds, but only because of the hurt everyone suffered after last year's Divisional Round win.
Q: The Broncos didn't have a first-round pick this year, but how has the draft class looked so far? Is anyone standing out in a good or bad way?
A: Even without a first-round pick, there's a decent amount of hype for this year's draft class. Tyler Onyedim is going to compete to at least get some serious snaps with John Franklin-Myers off to the Titans. Jonah Coleman is expected to play a big role in the running game and on 3rd downs. There are a handful of guys who look like they could be future starters even as Day 3 picks like Kage Casey (LG), Justin Joly (TE), and maybe even Red Murdock (LB).
The Broncos didn't really sign many free agents this year, so it feels like even the team is banking on the young guys stepping up.
Q: Obviously, the trade for Jaylen Waddle defined the offseason for you guys. How does he transform Sean Payton's offense?
A: Adding Jaylen Waddle changes everything for the offense. The Broncos haven't had any receivers who can separate as easily as he can. He's an offense creator. He's an explosive threat. That is what Bo Nix said had been missing from the offense previously, even though he's had a lot of big-time throws over the past couple of seasons. Waddle's combination of speed and acceleration gives that to the Denver offense, and Waddle is expected to be the tide to raise all boats, meaning elevating the other receivers around him and even just the threat of him being on the field helps Denver's running game.
Q: Other than Waddle, what was the biggest or most impactful move the Broncos made this offseason?
A: It hasn't been talked about a ton outside of Denver, but the most significant change has to be Davis Webb taking over offensive play-calling. Sean Payton has never given that up as long as he's been a head coach, not unless he had to. The idea that someone other than Payton is going to be calling plays this season is fascinating. The Broncos needed some fresh eyes on the offense in that way, because their operation was lacking balance and efficiency. Webb called plays last year, but only for one preseason game (and it went very well). It's going to be fascinating to see how things go with Payton in more of a CEO role and someone else in charge of calling the plays.
Q: What is Denver's biggest weakness as of now that the Raiders could potentially exploit in the two matchups?
A: If there's one weakness on Denver's roster right now, it would have to be either the tight end position or linebacker. And linebacker is probably where the Raiders can exploit them the most with Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. We know the Broncos have some answers to Bowers, matching him up with Pat Surtain II, but the idea of Jeanty taking a big step forward this season is something that could definitely give Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton fits.
Q: Is there a strength that the Broncos have that you believe could overpower Las Vegas this year?
A: The biggest strength the Broncos seem to have over the Raiders on paper is the offensive line going up against the Raiders' defensive line. Even with Maxx Crosby back, it seems like the Raiders don't have much in the way of clarity on their defensive line rotation, and the Broncos have had the same starting 5 on their offensive line for 3 years now.
Q: Would you rather face Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins?
A: I want to see the Broncos face both Cousins and Mendoza this year, but I want them to get Mendoza early. Vance Joseph has done a pretty great job against rookie quarterbacks since coming back to Denver, and Cousins could be easy pickings in the pocket for Denver's pass rush. Even though it was completely different situations, they absolutely overwhelmed him in their game against Atlanta two seasons ago.
Other Las Vegas Raiders 2026 season previews:
Week 1 - Miami Dolphins
Weeks 2&14 -Â Los Angeles Chargers
Week 3 - New Orleans Saints
Week 4 - Kansas City Chiefs
Week 5 - New England Patriots
Week 6 - Buffalo Bills
Week 7 - Los Angeles Rams
Week 8 - New York Jets
Week 9 - San Francisco 49ers
Week 10 - Seattle Seahawks
Week 12 - Cleveland Browns (Coming Soon)
Week 16 - Tennessee Titans (Coming Soon)
Week 17 - Arizona Cardinals (Coming Soon)
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