Denver Broncos' 5 most must-win games on 2026 schedule

Denver Broncos' 5 most must-win games on 2026 schedule originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Now that we have had a chance to look at and take in the schedule for the Denver Broncos in 2026 , many thoughts have already started brewing.

It's a tough schedule right out of the gate. The Broncos will also play games on Black Friday and Christmas Day. They will open the season on Monday Night Football on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs .

Though the Broncos are a popular pick to reach the Super Bowl, they are going to have to earn it against this first-place schedule. After discussing the team's most difficult games, it has several it must prove itself superior in. Though many factors can change between now and the time these games are actually played, if the Broncos are going to be a legitimate contender in 2026, these are games they must find a way to win.

Must-win games for the Broncos in 2026 Week 5 at Los Angeles Chargers When the schedule starts out with a road game at Arrowhead before coming back to Denver to face Jacksonville and the Rams and then going to San Francisco in Week 4, the Broncos could be staring at having to dig themselves out of an early-season hole. They lost to the Chargers at Sofi Stadium in Week 3 last year and that had the Chargers hot on their tail for the division title until late in the season. The Broncos need to get past their division rival here.