By: Michael Higgins

The Denver Broncos are in the midst of an extensive rebuild that may have very well reached the turning point this offseason. Abandoning the Russell Wilson era was the first step in the right direction. There is no way to sugarcoat it, there were zero good moments from his time as a Bronco. 

After an 8-9 season in a loaded AFC, a hard reset was much needed. They traded QB Russell Wilson to Pittsburgh, WR Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland, and released FS Justin Simmons. They also let C Lloyd Cushenberry and LB Josey Jewell walk in free agency.

Still being tied to a large portion of that Russell Wilson contract, they are strapped for cash. That did not stop them from going out and making moves to become a more competitive football team. They traded for DE John Franklin-Myers and QB Zach Wilson from the Jets. They also brought in role players such as WR Josh Reynolds. 

Denver did well in the draft, especially if you’re an Oregon fan. Taking QB Bo Nix in the 1st round, LB Jonah Elliss, WR Troy Franklin, and CB Kris Abrams-Draine all followed in the coming rounds.

In the preseason, Bo Nix really impressed. If it wasn’t a certainty before, he made sure he was the QB1 for the team. On the other end of the spectrum, it doesn’t appear that WR Troy Franklin is being given the time of day with the Denver staff.

The Broncos start the season in Seattle for a Noah Fant revenge game (I kid) before going home to host the Steelers in a Russell Wilson revenge game (maybe I kid). They then go on the road for back-to-back games against the Buccaneers and Jets. I have the Broncos going 2-2 in September.

October sees Denver host the Raiders and Chargers before traveling to play the Saints in New Orleans on Thursday Night Football and closing the month out at home against the Panthers. The Broncos will go 3-1 in October.

From here on out, the schedule toughens up. They play both the Ravens and the Chiefs on the road to begin November. They host the Falcons and then go back on the road to play the Raiders. The Broncos will be 1-3 in this stretch.

They host the Browns on Week 13’s version of Monday Night Football before a late Week 14 bye. They host the Colts, travel to play the Chargers and Bengals, and then close the season at home against the Chiefs. The Broncos will go 1-4 in this stretch.

I have the Broncos going 7-10 in a season where they may be expected to be a lot worse. If they hit on their draft picks like I believe they did, they could be a lot closer to playoff caliber than some may think.

2023 Record: 8-9

2024 Prediction: 7-10