Broncos' Super Bowl Quest Hinges On These Players Stepping Up

With eyes set on winning the Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos will need all their horses, so to speak, to help them realize their ultimate goal.

That quest starts on Monday Night Football, when the Broncos take to the road to face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

When a team wins it all, you can point to a handful of key players with significant contributions that helped them to that point. For the 2026 season, the Broncos have 10 such players who will be key to them achieving their goal of winning a fourth Lombardi Trophy.

Bo Nix | QB

The quarterback's importance is obvious. The NFL is quarterback-driven, so it's extremely difficult to win it all without that player being a key factor in a team's success.

The Broncos firmly believe Nix to be their franchise quarterback, and they have not shied away from putting the pressure on his shoulders to get things done. The Broncos will go so far as Nix can take them in 2026.

Jaylen Waddle | WR

After last season, the Broncos decided to mostly run it back, with one big exception: Waddle. They viewed him as a vital piece to bring about a big change to their passing game, not only with the ball in his hands but also as a decoy on routes.

The Broncos need Waddle to have that kind of impact to get a return on the investment they made in with the trade, believing he was the one big piece needed to get over the hump.

RJ Harvey | RB

J.K. Dobbins is a good running back and could be great or even elite if he stays healthy, but Harvey is the key piece in the backfield because the Broncos love to use their backs in the passing game.

Harvey is a space player who looked good as a receiver as a rookie in 2025, and he's gotten a lot of praise for his progress entering Year 2. Some of Sean Payton’s most successful teams featured a running back as one of its leading receivers.

Garett Bolles | LT

Bolles is coming off a first-team All-Pro season, but he is another year older, and his quarterback is coming off a serious ankle injury. The pressure on Bolles to continue that level of play, or even take it a step further, is mounting.

The Broncos need their blindside protector to have another great year.

Quinn Meinerz | RB

Another offensive lineman? Remember, Meinerz is one of the best guards in the NFL and such a mauler as a run blocker, although he has some issues as a pass protector.

Last year, Meinerz's play was more up-and-down than the Broncos may have anticipated, as he dealt with a mysterious illness for much of the season. The Broncos need him to excel as a run blocker, and step up as a pass protector and, along with Bolles, keep the offensive line a strength of this team.

Eyioma Uwazurike | DL

Denver's decision to let John Franklin-Myers walk, without even opening contract talks with him, has been criticized, and Uwazurike is part of the team's plan to replace him. Now, to be clear, the Broncos will replace JFM in the aggregate, with Malcolm Roach being a big part, but Uwazurike will carry some of the pressure to fill that void.

Uwazurike is a very different player than Franklin-Myers, and he needs to show he can do much of the dirty work that his predecessor did. Uwazurike also needs to show he's an upgrade as a run defender and not a significant downgrade as a pass rusher.

Nik Bonitto | OLB

The best pass rusher on the team is obviously going to be on this list, as impacting the passing game is so vital. Not only do the Broncos need another great season from Bonitto as a pass rusher, but they'd also love to see some of those sacks turn into forced fumbles to give the defense more opportunities for takeaways.

Bonitto will carry more of the edge-rushing load to start this season, potentially, with Jonathon Cooper opening the campaign on the commissioner's exempt list.

Alex Singleton | LB

Yes, Singleton makes this list, even though the Broncos have shown they can overcome his play in coverage and still field a top-ranked defense. Singleton is the Broncos' green-dot player, meaning he's the defensive signal-caller who relays the plays called in from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

The Broncos trust Singleton a lot, as do his teammates, who elected him team captain yet again, but the preseason raised concerns about his responsibilities. If he isn’t getting the defense into the right look and being the green-dot leader, it could be problematic beyond the expected issues with his flaws as a player.

Riley Moss | CB

No Patrick Surtain II? Why? Well, Surtain is a great player, and everyone knows it. He will have his success and big plays, but it puts more pressure on the player opposite him.

Last year, Moss allowed nearly 1,000 penalty yards, and after he focused on cutting down on penalties in practice, his stats and analytics weren't as good. Denver needs him to keep it clean while sustaining a high level of play.

Brandon Jones | S

Jones wasn’t as good in 2025 as he was in 2024, and then he suffered a serious injury late in the season. Denver needs him to play at that 2024 level and stay healthy, especially given its concerning depth at safety.

The Broncos use Jones to help cover some of the linebacker issues as well, which adds to why they need him to play at a higher level than he did a year ago.

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