6 Factors That Will Determine the Broncos’ Offensive Ceiling

The Denver Broncos' offense ended the 2025 season with a strong passing game but a poor rushing attack after a rough first 10 weeks. Unfortunately, an injury to J.K. Dobbins diminished the Broncos' run game.

If the Broncos could amalgamate their run game from the first 10 weeks and their passing game from Week 11 on, they would have had a great offense.

For the 2026 Broncos, that has to be their goal, rather than relying so heavily on their defense or even a single aspect of their offense. The Broncos need to field a diverse and balanced offense this season if they want to make it back to the AFC championship game and beyond.

Here are six keys to the Broncos fielding such an offense in 2026, and reaching their potential.

Davis Webb Excels as a First-Time Play-Caller

Sean Payton shocked the football world when he gave the play-calling duties to Webb, his young offensive coordinator, who has quickly ascended the ranks after starting as Denver's quarterbacks coach in 2023, just weeks after playing his last game as an NFL quarterback with the New York Giants. Payton will still have a voice and may still call plays in certain situations, but it's on Webb for the majority of the season, barring something unforeseen.

As a first-time play-caller, Webb won’t have tendencies for other teams to prepare for, and that could be advantageous for the Broncos' offense. Last year, Payton's play-calling wasn’t the only issue as the offense struggled to execute, but the sequencing and multiple play-calls per game were questionable at best.

The downside to this key is that if Webb does a great job, with interest in him as a head coach already established across the NFL, there's a good chance he'll be hired away after the season.

Establish a Good Ground Game

The run game before Dobbins got hurt was solid, but there were still serious consistency issues. After he got hurt in Week 10, for the most part, it was only a handful of plays per game that looked like a legitimate NFL rushing attack. There were a lot of issues, from the backs to the tight ends' blocking, and even some consistency issues with the offensive line. More on those last two shortly.

When it comes to the running backs, the biggest issue is getting improvements out of RJ Harvey. He had seven rushing touchdowns last year, but he still had one of the worst rushing success rates in the NFL.

The Broncos need play-to-play consistency from Harvey. They will also need rookie Jonah Coleman to come in and be ready to contribute with what appears to be a solid role for a fourth-round rookie running back.

Offensive Line Continues High-Level Play

January 17, 2026: Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) looks to block in the first half of the AFC Divisional Round playoff football game between the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. | Derek Regensburger / IMAGO / Zuma Press Wire

There were some bad moments occasionally from the offensive line last year in both the run game and the passing game. You can’t have the issues the Broncos did running the ball without some blame falling on the offensive line.

Overall, though, the Broncos' O-line remained a top-10 unit, even with its starting left guard and center missing significant time.

This year, the Broncos need to stay healthy and keep their starting five intact, which is the first step, and there is a lot of luck involved in that happening. Beyond that, the Broncos need to see more from center Luke Wattenberg and left guard Ben Powers, especially given the injuries they sustained last year.

The Broncos also need more consistency from All-Pro right guard Quinn Meinerz and right tackle Mike McGlinchey, and they need their other All-Pro, Garett Bolles, to produce another year as a top-three tackle in the NFL.

Significant TE Blocking Improvement

Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman (82) warms up before a game against the Green Bay Packers. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

This was the biggest issue with the Broncos' run game, as roughly 70% of their unsuccessful runs resulted from a bad block or play by one of their tight ends. Adam Trautman was the main culprit, with his bottom-three blown-block and tackles-for-a-loss rates, but Evan Engram was so bad that his playing time was significantly limited.

Nate Adkins was the best blocker at his position, but he was average, at best, and struggled to stay healthy.

The Broncos didn’t add a blocking tight end, even with two draft picks at the position, so it's on Trautman and Adkins to take the next step, or bounce back, as blockers to lead the way. Rookies Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley have the fight and desire to block, but their technique and strength aren’t there yet, and the former doesn’t have the size to do it in-line.

Bo Nix Takes the Next Step

There were issues with Nix at the start of the 2025 season, especially in the first eight weeks, but he showed improvement and really took off after last year's bye week. He showed he can be a franchise quarterback, but there is still a lot of room for improvement and more consistency, especially at the start of the season.

The demands for Nix to start strong are even more pressing this season with how the NFL structured the Broncos' early schedule. The first eight games, and how the Broncos weather them, will go a long way toward determining their season.

The concern is Nix's ankle injury, sustained in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills, which will sideline continue to him until training camp, though Payton said he might be out there in June for OTAs. So, not only does Nix have to rebound from the injury, but the Broncos need him to come back better than ever, and make the progress he needs to keep ascending as an NFL quarterback.

Cut Down the Drops

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) catches a pass during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Payton talked about the drops, and it led to some coaching changes within his staff. Drops were an issue last year, but the problem goes beyond them.

Denver had a lot of double catches as well, which minimizes the time to make something happen after the catch. The Broncos need to see massive improvement from their pass catchers overall.

There were a lot of yards and multiple big plays left on the field last year from drops, and again, the double catches limited some additional impact that could have been made. It has been a focal point for the Broncos this offseason.

Denver's additions reflect that, as Jaylen Waddle had a 4.3% drop rate last year, while Joly and Bentley were among the top three lowest drop rates for tight ends in college football last year. Coleman had one drop on 109 targets over his four-year college career, and that was in 2022.

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