It’s that time of the year again. The time when NFL fans across the U.S. start to believe it could be “their year”. Their year to witness their team lift the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl. It’s been eight years since the Denver Broncos last won the Super Bowl. Will Sean Payton’s team stand a chance of going all the way in 2024-25?

One major difference between 2023-24 and 2024-25 will be Denver’s starting quarterback. Payton lost patience with Russell Wilson, opting to facilitate his release to pick up a new quarterback prospect in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Bo Nix was Payton’s eventual selection and Nix has shown real promise in preseason with his fast-hitting style and accurate passing likely to secure him the starting quarterback berth from Game Week 1.

Despite the positivity surrounding Nix, there’s precious little else that the NFL analysts appear to like about Denver’s roster and their Super Bowl chances this season. As a matter of fact, DraftKings has them priced as the +30000 rank outsiders to lift the Lombardi Trophy in February 2025. Any Broncos fans with blind faith in their potential to reach Super Bowl LIX should note that DraftKings are running a NFL bet $5 and get $200 bonus, which is available to use in all U.S. states where online or mobile sports betting is legal.

Sportsbook traders don’t fancy Denver’s chances in the AFC

At the time of writing, most online sportsbooks are offering a win line of +5.5 games, suggesting they think the Broncos are likely to win no more than six regular season games. As a matter of fact, Denver are priced-up as the pre-game favorite in only two of their 17 games. These are damaging predictions for a team led by hugely respected head coach, Sean Payton, who has managed to win a minimum of seven regular season games in his 16 seasons in NFL.

Has the last couple of years damaged Denver’s reputation?

There’s been precious little good news about the Broncos in recent seasons. Two years ago there was the drama surrounding Nathaniel Hackett, who was unceremoniously fired with a win-loss record of 4-11. Payton was appointed as Hackett’s much-needed replacement last February, bringing a sense of stability and game planning to the fore.

However, the Super Bowl XLIV winner would go on to lock horns with quarterback Russell Wilson in the 2023 season, creating more unwanted headlines for the franchise.

Consequently, fans will hope 2024 can pass without too much incident – and more than five regular season victories. The Broncos’ most undervalued asset is their running game. Running back, Javonte Williams, has shown signs of returning to his rookie season form in preseason, having rumbled for 900 yards as a first-timer in 2021-22.

Its defense is where things could all fall down. Their rearguard was unreliable throughout last season and things don’t look to have changed for the better in 2024. The front seven ranked as low as 27th for success rate allowed per hand-off. Fans will look to Payton to try and milk a silk purse from a sow’s ear, but the reality is that 2024-25 will be another long season for Denver.

John Mali Director of Media Relations

Director of Media Relations at AboutBoulder.com

john@aboutboulder.com