The Denver Broncos thought they were in the perfect position to advance to the Super Bowl when they emerged from their divisional playoff battle against the Buffalo Bills with an overtime victory. As the Broncos danced off the field with the 33-30 triumph, they knew they would be hosting the winner of the game between the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans in the AFC title game.
However, minutes after the victory over the Bills, the Broncos learned that they would not have their full complement in the AFC Championship game. Quarterback Bo Nix had broken a bone in his ankle and he was not going to be able to play. The Broncos would have to go with backup Jarrett Stidham at quarterback. He has not thrown a pass in an NFL game since the 2023 season and asking him to lead the Broncos to a win over the Patriots under those circumstances was too much to ask.
The conditions of the game turned brutal as the snow came down late in the second quarter and turned into a blizzard in the final 30 minutes. New England kicked an early field goal in the third quarter and that broke a 7-7 tie. It turned out to be the only scoring in the second half and Broncos dropped a 10-7 decision.
While the Broncos had plenty of excuses for the tough loss, head coach Sean Payton was not about to accept them. He parted company with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi after the game along with receivers coach Keary Colbert and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch.
Broncos need to show improvement at the RB and WR slots
The Broncos had a solid year and exceeded expectations throughout the year, but Payton is an offensive-minded coach and he wants to improve the attack in the 2026 season.
A look at the numbers reveals that the Broncos ranked 14th in point per game at 23.6 and their running game was ordinary. Denver ranked 16th in that area, averaging 118.7 yards per carry.
J.K. Dobbins led the Broncos in rushing even though he only played in 10 games. He rushed for 772 yards with 153 carried and 4 touchdowns. Dobbins suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders and that marked the end of the season. RJ Harvey played in all 17 games and he rushed for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns.
While the Broncos like Dobbins when he is healthy, going after a key free agent at the running back slot makes quite a bit of sense.
Breece Hall might be the perfect addition for the Broncos in the backfield. He has been very solid for the moribund Jets, and getting a chance to play for an excellent team like Denver could light a fire under the explosive running back.
Hall never let up even though he was playing for the 3-14 Jets who finished a woeful 4th in the AFC East. He carried the ball 243 times for 1,064 yards with 4 TDs, and 57 of his carries resulted in first downs. Hall also caught 36 of 48 targets for 350 yards with 1 TD and a long reception of 42 yards.
Hall is scheduled to be a free agent, and so is Kenneth Walker III of the Seattle Seahawks. However, if the Seahawks win the Super Bowl and Walker has a productive game, the belief is that the Seahawks would make him an offer that he would not be able to refuse.
Broncos could also use a big-play wideout to help Sutton
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The Broncos know that they have a game-changing wideout in Courtland Sutton, but there’s no reason they couldn’t bring in another receiver who could increase their big-play capabilities.
Sutton caught 74 passes for 1,017 yards and 7 touchdowns, and opposing defensive coordinators had to look out for him on an every-down basis.
If the Broncos are going to improve their passing game, they need to consider Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts. Pierce has game-breaking speed, runs sharp pass patterns and will fight for the ball. He could become an ideal No. 2 receiver for Nix and help make the quarterback a far more effective on-field leader.
Pierce is one of those rare receivers who will give his quarterback big plays when they are needed most. Even though the Colts did not have the most consistent quarterback play after starter Daniel Jones was injured, Pierce caught 47 passes for a team-leading 1,003 yards with 6 touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 21.3 yards per reception and 41 of his catches resulted in first downs.
Payton will look at Pierce as a player who is capable of making the Broncos’ offense far more dangerous than it was in 2026. His ability to stretch the defense would help Sutton and also give the running game a significant lift.
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