TRZ Ad
2025AFCAFC WestDenver BroncosNFL

Have the Denver Broncos Secretly Been Punished By The NFL? Speculation Is Swirling

4

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Sean Payton.
Sean Payton. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos will try to bounce back in the 2026 NFL season after falling short to the New England Patriots in the 2025 AFC championship game. They clinched the No. 1 seed, but couldn’t defend it after Bo Nix suffered a season-ending injury against the Buffalo Bills.

Denver will enter the upcoming season as a potential contender, and the league will want them to prove it early.

Their first six weeks of the season will be brutal, with a season opener on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jacksonville Jaguars will visit them in Week 2, before the Los Angeles Ravens do the same in Week 3.

They will travel to San Francisco in Week 4, before heading to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers. Week 6 will see them clash with the defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks, on Thursday Night Football.

Colin Cowherd Says The NFL Might Have Punished The Denver Broncos With 2026 Schedule

Denver Broncos helmet.
Denver Broncos helmet. Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Colin Cowherd, an avid Sean Payton defender, chimed in on the Broncos’ early schedule. The veteran analyst said Payton’s relationship with the league might have played a role in this situation.

“I’m not a conspiracy guy, but I believe this. I think Sean Payton has a mixed relationship with the league office … (The) NFL does not like friendly fire. Zip it. Look at Denver’s schedule, they’re punishing them,” Cowherd said.

After those first six weeks, the Broncos will have an easier run for the next eight weeks: at the Arizona Cardinals, vs the Kansas City Chiefs, at the Carolina Panthers, vs. the Las Vegas Raiders, at the Pittsburgh Steelers, vs. the Miami Dolphins, at the New York Jets at the Raiders.

They could see the Cardinals with a winless record.

Teams