4 Opponents Emerging as Favorites for Broncos’ Week 1 Opener

The NFL will announce the Denver Broncos' 2026 regular-season schedule on May 14. We already know the Broncos' home and away opponents, but the order of games and the timing of the bye week are key factors in determining a team's overall success.

Another underrated aspect of the schedule is the season opener. Teams want the right opponent and, ideally, to kick off the season at home, while the NFL's priority is to capture that season-opener's attention.

There are a few matchups the Broncos may want to kick their season off, while there are a few the NFL may want. So, let’s look at which opponents could make for an ideal season-opener.

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

Now, the NFL could consider a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the season, as the Patriots have to go on the road to take on the Seattle Seahawks. However, the league could also look for a rematch of the AFC and NFC championship games, with the Broncos on the road in New England and the Seahawks at home against the Los Angeles Rams (a divisional matchup) as the season's kickoff. 

To close out the first week of games, the NFL could turn to a rematch of the AFC championship game, but this time, the Broncos are the road team. In the NFL’s eyes, there may be no better way to kick off a season than a rematch of the second and third biggest games of the playoffs. 

With the Patriots' off-field distractions, with no end in sight, the Broncos could also be wanting this matchup. Going into a hostile Patriots environment before they can iron out their wrinkles could be ideal. 

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

Speaking of entering a hostile environment before a team can find its footing, opening the season at Arrowhead Stadium should be the Broncos' top choice — if they had a say. Not only do the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes coming back from a serious knee injury, but the Broncos also have Nix returning from an injury. However, Kansas City has several other concerns that could lead to a slow start. 

The Chiefs are trying to rebuild their defense in a flash, with an offense featuring a bunch of new pieces and weapons. Going into Kansas City is as tough as it gets for Denver, especially later in the season, so getting that road trip out of the way before the Chiefs can really get a foothold can put the Broncos in a great spot as they push to win the division again. 

Now, this would be a tough debut for the Broncos' new play-caller, Davis Webb, especially against Steve Spagnuolo. But Webb is familiar with the offense, which doesn’t have many new players, though it has a few key players returning from injury, while Spagnuolo is dealing with a lot of fresh blood in his defense.  

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos

The Jaguars were a sleeper last year, until they went into Denver and pulled off the upset. The Jaguars fell short in the playoffs, but the NFL could look at that late-season upset and pit these two teams against each other in Week 1. 

This wouldn’t be an ideal matchup for the Broncos, as neither team has many moving pieces, but the Broncos have multiple key players returning from injury. It could take some time for Nix, Ben Powers, and J.K. Dobbins to find their groove with the offense, especially with Webb calling the plays. The Broncos shouldn’t want this matchup early, as they'll still be finding their footing offensively with Webb and everyone returning from injury. 

Unlike with the Chiefs, Webb would be going against a great defense that is mostly intact from last year, led by an excellent defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile — a unit that gave the Broncos' offense some issues last year. The Jaguars also had the Broncos defense's number, so this is one that hopefully comes in October or early November instead of Week 1. 

Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos

Josh Allen is one of the poster boys for the NFL, and after what the Broncos did to him and the Bills, the league may eye that as a prime Week 1 game, especially with the ‘controversy’ (that Ja'Quan McMillian interception) to close the game. Of course, with how the AFC East shook out last year, the NFL could also eye a Bills game in New England. 

The Bills have a new head coach in Joe Brady, with their offensive coordinator, Pete Carmichael, and defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, being hired from the Broncos' coaching staff. There were also reports that Sean Payton was eyeballing Brady as a potential offensive coordinator if the Bills went a different direction at head coach, especially if Webb had managed to get a head-coaching job. 

There would be a lot of storylines with this game, and that's what draws attention, which is exactly what the NFL wants. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if this were the game the Broncos ended up getting.

Still, the divisional rivalry with the Bills and the Patriots may take precedence, especially since the NFL tends to favor the two Super Bowl teams by giving them a home game to start the season. The Patriots do not have another super intriguing home game besides Denver and Buffalo. 

The Takeaway

These are the four games that stand out the most as the most intriguing season-opening games for the Broncos in the NFL’s eyes, but there is a lot that goes into scheduling. Of course, there is a possibility that another opponent ends up chosen for the Broncos to kick off their season, but if it isn’t one of these four, it would be a little surprising.

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