Sean Payton Weighs In on the True Challenges of the Broncos' Schedule

There's been a lot of hand-wringing over the Denver Broncos' 2026 regular-season schedule, and for good reason. The Broncos' first six weeks are a brutal gauntlet, and they face the Kansas City Chiefs twice within the first eight games.

The NFL schedule-makers gave the Broncos five primetime games this season, including two on Friday. Counting Denver's Thursday night matchup on the docket, Sean Payton's team faces several short-week obstacles on top of the first-place-caliber challenge of its opponents.

Last Thursday after OTA practice was our first opportunity to hear Payton address any schedule-related topic. Payton's eye went quickly to the travel itinerary, and how many miles the Broncos are set to travel.

“It’s really more about just the unique travel. When I look at the schedule, you just look at short weeks," Payton said. "It’s the nuanced games."

Week 1: at Chiefs (MNF)
Week 2: Jaguars
Week 3: Rams (SNF)
Week 4: at 49ers
Week 5: at Chargers
Week 6: Seahawks (TNF)
Week 7: at Cardinals
Week 8: Chiefs
Week 9: at Panthers
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: Raiders
Week 12: at Steelers (Fri/Prime)
Week 13: Dolphins
Week 14: at Jets
Week 15: at Raiders
Week 16: Bills on Xmas (Netflix)
Week 17: at Patriots
Week 18: Chargers

The Broncos will travel 19,143 miles in 2026. That ranks 15th-most in the NFL, which is the middle of the pack.

The Broncos get three short-week turnarounds, though two of them allow for one extra day of preparation and recovery, being on Black Friday and Christmas Day. Fortunately, the first short-week game is at home in Week 6 after the Broncos return from L.A.

The next one is a Friday night game in Week 12 in Pittsburgh, which entails a trip east across the continent. The last one is at home on Christmas after a road game in Las Vegas.

The NFL did not show much pity for the Broncos, given how it structured the schedule. One pundit has read into that as the NFL persecuting Payton and the Broncos, but honestly, it was a slate of opponents this team earned by virtue of its 14-win finish last year.

Silver Linings

Andy Reid and Sean Payton. — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton greets Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid following the game at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There are a few silver linings to the Broncos' schedule: 1. Opening on the road at Arrowhead and getting the Chiefs away game right off the bat, 2. A Week 10 bye smack-dab in the middle of the season, and 3. A soft stretch from Week 9 through Week 15.

Payton cannot afford to look at the Broncos' schedule from a macro perspective, other than for purposes of travel itinerary. He and his coaches will take it one game and one opponent at a time, starting with the Chiefs in Week 1.

Payton sees the Broncos' unique schedule this year as a sign of the interest the NFL now has in his team. People want to see Bo Nix and the Broncos play.

"Look, you know you’re going to be playing in them," Payton said. "If you’re playing every weekend Sunday at 2:30 [p.m.], or on the East Coast at 1:00, there’s probably not a lot of interest. So it’s good to be in some of those games. I think we have a couple Friday, a Thursday, a Sunday, a Monday. All good.”

Payton Wanted This

Clearly, Payton isn't losing any sleep over the schedule. This is exactly what he and his staff have been working toward since he arrived as head coach in 2023.

The Broncos earned this first-place schedule. It was a goal to win the AFC West, and the Broncos finally dethroned the Chiefs and fended off the Los Angeles Chargers. They're now contending in the upper echelons of the AFC.

It just so happens that the schedule, in its regular rotation, puts the AFC West against both the NFC West and the AFC East, two divisions that spawned five playoff teams last season. So, on top of the Broncos' first-place schedule, which forces matchups against the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers, they also have to face the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and Buffalo Bills.

Just remember that Denver's division rivals also have to face every team in the NFC West and AFC East. That levels the playing field considerably for the Broncos, relative to the AFC West race.

The Takeaway

Take it by the inch, it's a cinch. By the yard it gets hard.

That must be Denver's ethos this season. But, again, it's everything Payton asked for. Fans can only hope the Broncos are truly prepared for it.

Fortunately, there's still a long row left to hoe when it comes to Payton getting his team ready and primed for this war of attrition. The second week of OTAs kicks off today, with Thursday's practice once again being open to the media.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google