ESPN Gives Broncos Curious Ranking for 2026 Season

ESPN officially turned the page to the 2026 NFL campaign at the conclusion of Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, releasing its "early" power rankings for each team heading into next season.

The Worldwide Leader slotted the Denver Broncos at No. 4 overall, behind only the (newly-crowned champion) Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Rams.

Their offseason directive for the Broncos, via beat reporter Jeff Legwold: "Find some pop."

"When the Broncos debrief the 2025 season, it will be difficult for them to escape the conclusion that a Super Bowl trip was hindered by their lack of impact on offense," Legwold wrote. "The Broncos were 14th in scoring even with quarterback Bo Nix in the lineup, so it's well beyond the question of whether Nix playing in the AFC Championship Game would have changed anything. They were 29th in percentage of drives that ended in a three-and-out. They were 15th in plays of 20 yards or more (the other three conference championship teams were Nos. 1, 2 and 4), and running back J.K. Dobbins led the team in explosive runs despite not playing after Nov. 6."

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Not that it ultimately matters, but it's questionable enough to rank the Patriots ahead of the Broncos considering they barely squeaked by the Bo Nix-less bunch in the AFC Championship — and were largely exposed in the Super Bowl. It's even more curious to posit that Denver still wouldn't have beaten New England without its franchise quarterback.

Nevertheless, Sean Payton's Broncos will use the narrative as disrespect-laden rocket fuel. And like the ESPN collective, they're closing the book on what-ifs. The 2025 NFL season is kaput. The focus now is ahead, on bigger goals and achievements.

"Today sucks…. But man is it even more motivating," linebacker Alex Singleton wrote on X on Sunday.

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates after winning an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It Gets Better ...

The Four Letter might be a little lower on the Broncos' 2026 prospects than other national outlets. Take, for example, FOX Sports, which ranked Denver at No. 1 overall in its way-too-early power rankings, besting the Seahawks, Rams, and Patriots.

"Let’s be honest: The Patriots don’t get to the Super Bowl if QB Bo Nix doesn’t fracture his ankle one week earlier," FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano wrote. "He’ll be back with the NFL’s best coach (Sean Payton), a punishing defense, hopefully another receiver, and a battle-tested team that should be hard to beat."

🚨 Way-too-early 2026 NFL power rankings following Super Bowl LX 🚨

✍️ @RalphVacchiano

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— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 9, 2026