When we start revving up the hot take machine for the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2025 season, don’t be surprised at how many people fall on the side of “this team is better than we think.”
Even with that type of praise surely on the way, leave it to one of the masters of the NFL hot takes to come in early and bless the proceedings with a flamethrower of an opinion.
“This Is Football With Kevin Clark” podcast host Kevin Clark compared the Broncos to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on his April 15 episode — possibly the hot take equivalent of Icarus flying to close to the sun.
“I’m ready to talk crazy about the 2025 Broncos,” Clark said. “Like, I’m ready to talk crazy but I’m not there quite yet … I was thinking earlier this offseason about who has the capability to be the next Eagles, where we’re just like ‘Oh, the roster is so stacked they have to win.’ The Broncos, to me, feel like they’re on that track. When you look at the trenches, you look at the defense, you look at their offensive line … I don’t know, man, in 2 years we mightb e like, what the hell is this? This team’s amazing.”
It’s been awhile since the Broncos have drawn those type of comparisons. On the strength of one of the NFL’s best defenses led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II and rookie quarterback Bo Nix, the Broncos went 10-7 and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season.
Broncos in Middle of NFL’s Toughest Division
No matter how good the Broncos played in 2024, they’re still located smack dab in the middle of the NFL’s toughest division in the AFC West.
Denver is still looking up at the Kansas City Chiefs, who have made 5 Super Bowls in the last 6 seasons and won 3 times. They’re also neck and neck with the Los Angeles Chargers, who seemed revitalized under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2024 and also made the playoffs.
That’s not to mention the Las Vegas Raiders, who have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, a new head coach and quarterback in Pete Carroll and Geno Smith and arguably the NFL’s best tight end with Brock Bowers, who became the first rookie at his position to earn NFL All-Pro honors in 22 years.
Oddsmakers Predict Broncos Take Step Back in 2025
The first projected over/under win totals for the 2025 NFL regular season were released on March 27, with FanDuel projecting the Broncos at 8.5 wins and ESPN Bet projecting them at 9.5 wins.
From ESPN: “Denver had gone under its win total for four straight seasons before a 10-7 campaign last year on a 5.5-win projection … The Broncos were 12-5 against the spread last season and 8-0 straight up as a favorite.”
If the Broncos exceed expectations, it will be thanks in large part to a defense that features 3 NFL All-Pro selections from last season with interior defensive lineman Zach Allen, edge rusher Nik Bonitto and Surtain, along with the addition of All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
