Tom Brady Weighs In on 'Surprising' Broncos Loss to Jaguars

Denver dropped a few spots in the latest NFL power rankings.

Dec 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Fox broadcaster Tom Brady is seen prior to the game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Leave it to Tom Brady — of all people — to be the voice of reason regarding the Denver Broncos.

Though he dropped them from the top spot in his newest NFL power rankings, the former legendary quarterback-turned-broadcaster cautioned against jumping ship on the Broncos following Sunday's "somewhat surprising" loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"Given their body of work, it's hard to see this as anything more than an outlier performance from this defense, and I don't think anyone needs to reach for the panic button at Mile High," Brady said in his weekly segment for FOX Sports.

🚨 An NFC team has taken over the top spot in @TomBrady's Power Rankings 🚨

Find out where your team landed 👇 pic.twitter.com/mui6xt7f5E

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 24, 2025

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The 12-3 Broncos fell to No. 4 overall in Brady's rankings following a 34-20 defeat against Jacksonville, who the future Hall-of-Famer positioned at No. 2 behind only the Seattle Seahawks. Checking in at No. 3 are the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers at No. 5.

"The Jags hit their season-high at No. 2 after knocking off the top-ranked Broncos on the road," Brady said. "Building on six straight wins, Jacksonville has a chance to wrap up the AFC South against the Colts this week. Could they even swipe the top seed in the AFC? That's a question I didn't think I'd be asking two months ago."

The remainder of Brady's top-10 consists of the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and the Houston Texans.

Noticeably (after so many dominant years) but not surprisingly absent? The Patrick Mahomes-less, 6-9 Kansas City Chiefs, who the Broncos will face on Christmas night at Arrowhead Stadium.

Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) meet after the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Opinions Vary

While it's understandable that Denver would tumble a bit entering Week 17, not all NFL power rankings are created equal. ESPN kept the Broncos at No. 3 overall, while NFL Media moved them down from No. 2 to No. 4.

"The Broncos' celebrated defense had its hands pretty full with the Jaguars for most of a frustrating day, while Bo Nix and the offense never found that fourth-quarter magic we're so used to seeing them summon," NFL Media's Eric Edholm wrote Tuesday. "In a game that felt like a Divisional Round playoff matchup, Jacksonville took a few early punches and fought back hard. Missed tackles were a problem for Denver's defense. Jags QB Trevor Lawrence took some sacks but also hit some big plays against the blitz. LB Dre Greenlaw's late injury also bears watching. It was a disappointing result all the way around, especially with the top seed in the AFC there for the taking. Now, even the division is in some doubt. This Thursday's Christmas night game in Kansas City looks far easier, with both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew out, but the Week 18 showdown with the Chargers suddenly looms very large."

Then there's Sports Illustrated, which placed the Broncos at No. 9, citing head coach Sean Payton's suggestive message in the wake of the Jaguars game.

"So now we have a short week to digest it. You can’t spit it out. You’ve got to swallow it. That starts with every one of us," Payton told reporters Sunday.