Category: Sport

We’ve seen this movie before.

The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will meet for a third time this season in the NFC championship game, this time in Seattle. The prize for the winner? A trip to Super Bowl 60.

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The No. 1 seed Seahawks enjoyed their bye week and then crushed the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round. The No. 5 seed Rams haven’t played their best football in the postseason, but got by the Panthers 34-31 in Carolina as 10-point road favorites in the wild-card round and then went on the road again to defeat the Chicago Bears 20-17 in overtime as 4.5-point road favorites. Los Angeles didn’t cover the spread in either game.

Will Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford return to a second Super Bowl as head coach and QB? How will Sam Darnold (and his oblique) show up when the lights are brightest?

Ben Fawkes gathers insight from oddsmakers for the game, and our team of NFL handicappers provides its favorite wagers on Sunday’s matchup.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

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What oddsmakers are saying

“A little bit more money on Seattle, number hasn’t moved from Seahawks -2.5. We have moved the Seahawks money line from -150 to -155. Total we opened 47.5, it went up to 48 briefly, then back to 47.5. I think it’ll stay in that range. The only weather issue that might come is rain there.” — Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata

“This is the game we were all looking forward to seeing because these games have been electric. Ton of action coming in. Opened Seattle -2.5, 47.5, and the total is down a half point to 47. Respect for Seattle defensive front and how well they’re playing. We’re seeing Seattle action come in. I think the Rams all year long were considered the best team stats-wise and with this prolific offense. Defense has taken a step back the past few weeks. Right now, bettors are convinced that Seattle is going to win this game no problem.” — Joey Feazel, head of NFL trading at Caesars Sportsbook

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Best bets

Matt Jacob: Here’s one reason to take the points with the Rams in Sunday’s NFC championship game: Since the 2018 season, Los Angeles is 11-6 against the Seahawks (including a playoff victory). And five of those losses were by a total of 14 points (including two in overtime).

Other reasons to take the points: The Rams are 12-4 ATS in the last 16 head-to-head battles (6-1 ATS in Seattle); the underdog has covered the point spread in seven of the past eight clashes; and seven of those eight contests were decided by a touchdown or fewer.

That includes two matchups this year decided by a total of three points.

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So of course I’m rolling with … the Seahawks. Specifically, I’m rolling with a Seahawks defense that has allowed 19 points (and one touchdown) over the past three games.

The naysayer would point out that immediately prior to this recent stretch, Seattle gave up 37 points. To the Rams. At home. That’s fair enough. But the defense stiffened down the stretch of that game, allowing the offense and special teams to steal a 38-37 victory in overtime.

Also, prior to that Week 16 Thursday Night Football thriller, the Seahawks shut down the Colts (16 points), Falcons (nine) and Vikings (zero). Yep, Seattle has held six of its past seven opponents to 44 total points.

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There’s this, too: In the first meeting in Los Angeles, the Rams scored touchdowns on their first two offensive possessions. From there, L.A. found the end zone just once in the final three quarters, barely holding on for a 21-19 win.

The bottom line is that the Seahawks have been consistent all season and are playing their best football right now (as evidenced by their ongoing eight-game winning streak).

On the other hand, the Rams have been teetering for weeks. Not only are they just 5-3 in their last eight contests, but they barely survived two playoff games at Carolina (34-31) and Chicago (20-17 in overtime).

No offense to the Panthers and Bears, but they’re not in Seattle’s league.

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Bet: Seahawks -2.5 (-120)

Jacob: A quick review of the Seahawks’ backup running back situation: fourth-stringer Kenny McIntosh (injured reserve); third-stringer George Holani (injured reserve); second-stringer and second-leading rusher Zach Charbonet (torn ACL).

There’s a chance that Holani (hamstring) could be activated ahead of Sunday’s NFC championship game. But the second-year pro has all of 25 carries in 16 games.

Before last week’s playoff rout of the 49ers, Seattle moved running back Velus Jones Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster. Jones wound up with six carries — two more than he had in three regular-season games — but gained only 10 yards.

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[Get more Seahawks news: Seattle team feed]

Long story short, the Seahawks have depth problems in the backfield. So like it or not, No. 1 running back Kenneth Walker III is going to have to shoulder the load against the Rams. That certainly wasn’t a problem last week, when Walker torched San Francisco for 119 yards (and three touchdowns) on 19 carries.

The 19 carries matched Walker’s regular-season high against Arizona way back in Week 4.

Now in his fourth season, the former Michigan State standout has exceeded 20 rushing attempts just eight times in 56 starts. If the Seahawks had their druthers, they wouldn’t need Walker to top that number for a ninth time Sunday night. Unfortunately, given the state of their running back room, they won’t have that luxury.

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Bet: Kenneth Walker III over 20.5 rushing attempts (-105)

Jacob: Despite playing in frigid Chicago last week, McVay called 42 pass plays versus 31 rushing plays. That decision nearly cost McVay and his team — and he knows it.

In fact, after escaping with a 20-17 overtime win, McVay admitted his offensive game plan needs to be more balanced. I just don’t believe for a hot second that he’ll change his ways.

For starters, committing to the running game is not in McVay’s football DNA. More importantly, he views Stafford as his ticket back to a third Super Bowl, so he’s going to ride the 37-year-old’s right arm until it falls off.

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How else do you explain these numbers: 38, 49, 38, 40, 42 and 42.

Those are Stafford’s pass attempts in his past six games. The highwater mark of 49? It happened in Week 16 in Seattle. And the 42 attempts in each of the past two games were in rainy Carolina and ice-cold Chicago.

Do you really believe McVay is going to let off the throttle this week? When the weather is projected to be dry and mild? In a game where his team quite possibly will be trailing for a good portion of the day? With a trip to Super Bowl 60 on the line?

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No chance.

Bet: Matthew Stafford over 35.5 pass attempts (-125)

Matt Russell: Jacob and I are swimming up the same stream with Stafford, as we might be in for a repeat of Week 16’s tilt. Everybody knows that Davante Adams missed that game, but there was another one of Stafford’s weapons that wasn’t in the mix that night: Tyler Higbee was still on the injured list.

Both before and after the time he missed due to injury, Higbee is usually good for one big play in the passing game, and that was again the case last week in Chicago. One catch for 27 yards was enough to make it five games in a row with a long reception of more than 10.5 yards. Only three teams allowed more yards per reception to tight ends this season, so we’ll bet on another singular explosive connection between the long-time teammates.

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Bet: Tyler Higbee longest reception over 10.5 yards (-110)

Michael Fiddle: Late in the NFL season, the Rams were splitting backfield touches or even leaning on backup RB Blake Corum to be a lead ball carrier. Just last season, with the Kyren Williams and Blake Corum tandem in place, Williams played 81% of the snaps — that dipped to 69% this season. The reason became clear during the last two playoff games: The Rams were saving Williams’ legs a bit.

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In fact, Williams’ explosive playmaking rate increased with fewer touches. He had his longest run of the season (34 yards) coincidentally against this Seattle defense in their Nov. matchup. Williams had 21 carries last week against the Bears compared to Corum’s six, while also seeing that explosiveness remain.

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My favorite prop in this game is banking on Williams to have a carry of at least 12 yards.

Bet: Kyren Williams longest rush over 11.5 yards (+105 BetMGM)

Ed Feng: Seattle came into the season with low expectations, as the Seahawks ranked 19th in my preseason rankings and 1.2 points worse than league average. The wisdom of crowds was not high on Sam Darnold after he flunked his last two games of an otherwise great season with Minnesota. Losing DK Metcalf probably didn’t help preseason expectations.

As powerful a predictor as the wisdom of crowds can be (remember this when you fill out your March Madness bracket), it was wrong on Seattle, as Darnold (with the help of WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba) has been fantastic. With the failure of the Rams to perform against a bad Chicago defense, Seattle moved into first in my numbers based on data from the current season. This model predicts Seattle by 3, so I’m not seeing any value in the spread.

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My passing yards model is based on adjusted yards per pass attempt. As strong as Stafford and the Rams offense has been, the Seattle defense ranks third in the NFL by my numbers. Yes, Stafford blew up for 457 passing yards in his last game against Seattle, but let’s recognize this as an outlier (130 yards in their first meeting this season). The model predicts 237 passing yards for Stafford.

Bet: Matthew Stafford under 256.5 passing yards

Coco Gauff has made some deep runs at the Australian Open in the past, but she’s never won the event. This year could be different, though, as Gauff continued her push toward her first Australian Open title Sunday.

Gauff — seeded No. 3 — didn’t have an easy task, as she needed to push past Karolína Muchová to get the job done. The No. 19 women’s player did give Gauff some trouble during the match, but not enough to throw her off her game. Gauff picked up the win 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, taking down Muchová and pushing into the quarterfinal for the third straight year.

The win bodes extremely well for Gauff, who has gone on to win every event in which she’s beaten Muchová.

After some promising results at the Australian Open early in her career, Gauff has inched closer to winning the even in recent years. She was a semifinalist in 2024 and then reached the quarterfinals in 2025.

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Getting back to the semifinals this time around will prove tough, as Gauff will take on Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. The two have played each other three times in the past, with Gauff picking up two wins in those meetings.

Svitolina upset Mirra Andreeva on Sunday to move into the quarterfinal round.

Learner Tien advances for U.S. on men’s side

Learner Tien faced a tough task Sunday. With a win, Tien would advance to the Australian Open quarterfinal for the first time in his career. But that wouldn’t be easy, as he needed to defeat three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev to get there.

Tien proved up to the task, however, winning in straight sets (6-4, 6-0, 6-3) to take down the higher-ranked Medvedev. With the win, Tien became the youngest man to reach that Australian Open quarterfinal since 2015.

Tien, 20, will look to continue that momentum when he takes on No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev on Tuesday.

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Zverev pushed past Francisco Cerundolo on Sunday. Elsewhere on the men’s side, Alex de Minaur defeated Alexander Bublik to move into the quarterfinals.

The Denver Broncos will play in the AFC championship on Sunday for the first time since 2015. But the man who got them there won’t be able to take part in the contest. Bo Nix was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a broken ankle on one of the final plays during the team’s divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills.

Nix, 25, was ruled out shortly after that win, with head coach Sean Payton announcing the quarterback was injured on the second-to-last play in the team’s overtime victory. Nix was slated to have season-ending surgery a few days later, but his injury timeline wasn’t revealed until Sunday.

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[Get more Broncos news: Denver team feed]

After undergoing that surgery, the quarterback is expected to miss 12 weeks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Nix reportedly will not be allowed to put any weight on his ankle for four weeks. If he recovers well, the earliest he can begin activity would be right around the 12-week mark.

Though it’s going to be a lengthy recovery, Nix is expected to be “largely recovered” in time for the team’s offseason workouts, per Schefter.

Nix has reportedly broken his ankle three times during his football career, though this break is in a different area and should not affect the quarterback long term. Nix has gotten off to a promising start in his career. He threw for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his second season in the NFL. His performance, combined with the Broncos’ excellent defense, resulted in Denver earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

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With Nix sidelined, backup Jarrett Stidham will get the start against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Stidham will make his fifth-ever start in the contest. In 20 NFL games, the 29-year-old Stidham has eight touchdowns against eight interceptions.

The Denver Broncos’ win over the Buffalo Bills last weekend came with a significant cost. Shortly after the victory, head coach Sean Payton announced that Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix sustained a fracture in his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game. He was ruled out for the rest of the postseason.

The injury paves the way for backup Jarrett Stidham to get the start in the AFC championship game. Given his status as a backup, and the surprising nature in which he’ll make his first playoff start, some NFL fans may be unaware of Stidham’s football journey.

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Here’s everything you need to know about Stidham, including his stats, college and journey to the Broncos.

Where did Jarrett Stidham go to college?

Stidham initially played at Baylor, where he showed promise during his freshman season. After seeing time early in his college career, Stidham eventually took over as Baylor’s starter after Seth Russell went down with an injury. Stidham finished his freshman year with 12 touchdowns against two interceptions in 10 games.

Stidham wasn’t guaranteed the starting role the next season with Russell back. As a result, Stidham decided to transfer. After spending a semester at a community college, Stidham landed at Auburn. He started for the team as both a junior and senior, and combined to throw for 5,952 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his two seasons with the team. Auburn went 10-4 and 8-5 in Stidham’s two seasons as a starter.

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Jarrett Stidham NFL Draft

Following two strong years at Auburn, Stidham heard his name called in the 2019 NFL Draft. The quarterback was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round and was the seventh quarterback off the board.

Given Stidham’s status as a rookie and the fact that Patriots starter Tom Brady was about to enter his age-42 season, there were some who believed Stidham was drafted to be Brady’s replacement once he left the team or retired.

Jarrett Stidham NFL stats

Being Brady’s backup meant Stidham didn’t see much time as a rookie. He appeared in three games, throwing just four passes in mop-up duty. One of those passes, however, was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

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Brady left the Patriots after the season, but Stidham was not named the team’s starter. Instead, the Patriots signed Cam Newton, who started 15 games. Stidham spent portions of the 2020 NFL season as the team’s third-string quarterback, behind veteran Brian Hoyer. While Stidham eventually worked his way up the depth chart and appeared in five games, he did not register a start in 2020.

The Patriots selected Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Stidham missed time with an injury and did not appear in a game once he returned to action.

That offseason, Stidham was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was hired as the Raiders’ head coach that offseason. Stidham served as Derek Carr’s backup, but was named the starter late in the season. He made his first two NFL starts, throwing four touchdowns against three interceptions in two losses.

Stidham left the Raiders in the offseason to join the Broncos on a two-year, $10 million deal. He served as a backup throughout most of the 2023 NFL season, though he started two games down the stretch after Russell Wilson was benched. Stidham threw two touchdowns and one interception in those games, going 1-1 to close out the season.

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The Broncos selected Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, pushing Stidham back into a reserve role. Since 2024, Stidham has appeared in just four games, though has not thrown a single pass.

Over his six-year NFL career, Stidham has appeared in 20 games, including four starts. He’s completed 60.6 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,422 yards. Stidham has eight touchdowns against eight interceptions in the NFL.

His four NFL starts are the fewest of any player to start in the AFC championship game.

Stidham’s AFC championship start will mark his first of the season. It’s the first time since 1972 that a quarterback’s first start of the year came in the AFC championship game.

Only six quarterbacks since 1950 have made their first start of the season in the playoffs. Only one of those players, former head coach Frank Reich, came away from his start with a win.

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Jarrett Stidham career earnings

Stidham has made roughly $25 million since being drafted in 2019. His rookie deal with the Patriots totaled roughly $3 million over four seasons. Once he hit free agency in 2023, Stidham earned a two-year, $10 million deal from the Broncos.

That contract ran out last offseason, but the team brought Stidham back on another two-year deal. This one was worth $12 million. Stidham made just under $2 million in 2025 and is set to make close to $6 million in 2026.

Broncos QB depth chart

With Stidham set to take over, Sam Ehlinger is expected to serve as the team’s backup quarterback behind Stidham. Ehlinger was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent three years with the team before joining the Broncos on a one-year deal in 2025.

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Over his career, Ehlinger has appeared in eight NFL games — including three starts. He has three touchdowns against three interceptions in those appearances.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold wasn’t able to “let it rip” during practices, but will play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Darnold will reportedly get the start despite dealing with an oblique injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Darnold’s availability for the contest was never really in question after he was listed as limited in practice all week and was not given an injury designation before the game. But his level of participation in practices suggests the issue may be more serious than it appears.

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Darnold reportedly split time with backup Drew Lock in practice during the week. The Seahawks were careful with the starter, not allowing Darnold to throw it deep in practices. The quarterback is reportedly saving those types of throws for Sunday’s game, per Schefter.

Darnold attempted only short and medium throws at practice and did not, as one source described, “let it rip.” He is saving that level of throwing effort for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

[Get more Seahawks news: Seattle team feed]

The 28-year-old Darnold initially sustained the injury ahead of the team’s divisional round game against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the injury, Darnold was able to play against the 49ers, where he helped lead the team to a dominant 41-6 win.

Darnold wasn’t asked to do much in the victory. With the Seahawks jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, Darnold threw the ball only 17 times throughout the contest. After the Seahawks essentially clinched the game, Lock came on in relief of Darnold. Lock, however, did not throw a pass during the contest.

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While it’s unclear how Darnold will respond if pushed into more action against the Rams on Sunday, the quarterback plans to take a pain-killing injection prior to the game, per Schefter. He did the same thing before the team’s divisional round game and it helped.

After a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings last year, Darnold signed with the Seahawks in free agency and mostly repeated his strong numbers. Through 17 games, Darnold threw for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Given his success with the Buffalo Bills, it might come as a surprise that Sean McDermott hasn’t been mentioned for any of the vacant head-coaching jobs around the league. That might be by design, as McDermott is reportedly “likely” to take a year off of coaching, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

While McDermott’s plans are unclear, the people he’s talked to have reportedly told McDermott it was “beneficial” and “worth it” to take a year off following a long coaching stint with a team, per Rapoport.

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McDermott’s track record should have made him one of the more desirable head coaches on the market. In nine seasons with the Bills, McDermott led the team to a 98-50 record, making the playoffs in eight of those seasons. He reached the AFC championship game twice, where he fell to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs both times.

But McDermott’s firing came at an awkward time in the coaching cycle. Both John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski were already off the market, going to the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. The same day McDermott was fired, the Miami Dolphins filled their opening with Jeff Hafley. Twenty-four hours later, the Tennessee Titans agreed to a deal with Robert Saleh. McDermott didn’t have a shot at any of those jobs.

While the Baltimore Ravens’ job was still open — and among the more desirable landing spots for McDermott — it didn’t stay that way for long. Three days after McDermott was fired, the team named Jesse Minter as its next head coach.

As of Sunday, only four jobs remain open. The Bills remain the most desirable landing spot, though McDermott isn’t going back there. The three other options are the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals. All three teams look to be in desperate need of a rebuild, and it’s unclear whether McDermott wants to take that on. He’s been successful enough over his career that he could wait a season and see if a more desirable landing spot opens up. McDermott would likely be among the biggest names on the market if he takes a year off and interviews for jobs again next offseason.

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Given the state of the teams still looking for a new head coach, that might be McDermott’s best play at this point. By sitting out a year, McDermott should have his pick of the head-coaching jobs next offseason. And he could wind up with a team in a much better position to win games compared to the options on the table right now.

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga suffered a bone bruise in his left knee during Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks and is sidelined without a timetable to return.

The Warriors announced his diagnosis on Sunday. “A re-evaluation date will be determined in the coming days,” the Warriors announced.

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The injury arrives at a critical juncture for the Warriors in terms of their relationship with Kuminga. Kuminga was believed to be on the trade block ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, but he’d recently returned to the rotation due to an injury to Jimmy Butler.

Kuminga left Thursday’s game with the injury. He was then listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves that got postponed until Sunday with what the team initially listed as knee soreness.

An MRI on Friday confirmed that Kuminga sustained a bone bruise due to a hyperextension in his knee. The Warriors did not announce the injury until Sunday.

What will Warriors do with Kuminga?

Kuminga recently rejoined head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation due to the season-ending ACL tear to Butler. He’d previously issued a trade demand after Kerr opted not to play him in several games this season. The injury to Butler opened up a chance for Kuminga to re-establish himself in Golden State’s rotation. His future with the franchise remains unclear ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

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Kuminga played well in his brief return to the lineup. He tallied 20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes in a loss to the Raptors on Tuesday. He had 10 points in nine minutes against the Mavericks before leaving the game with his injury.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are at a crossroads with Butler’s injury projected to knock them out of any realistic chance of competing in the Western Conference.

An officiating mistake cost the New England Patriots a defensive touchdown against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

But Drake Maye deemed the error moot by running for a touchdown two plays later to get the Patriots on the scoreboard and cap a pivotal sequence in the AFC championship game that New England eventually won, 10-7.

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The sequence started late in the second quarter as the Broncos held a 7-0 lead. Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who was playing for injured starter Bo Nix, faced pressure on third-and-3 and carelessly released the ball near Denver’s 14-yard line.

Patriots linebacker Elijah Ponder picked the ball up and ran into the end zone for what looked like a New England touchdown. But officials blew the whistle as Ponder picked up the ball, killing the play.

Officials initially ruled that Stidham had committed intentional grounding, setting Denver up with what would have been fourth-and-24. But they reviewed the play and determined that Stidham had thrown a backward pass, which meant a fumble and a live ball.

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Ponder had a clear path to the end zone for what should have been a touchdown after he recovered it. But because officials blew the whistle, the play was dead at the time of his recovery. Instead of scoring a touchdown, the Patriots faced first-and-10 at the Denver 12-yard line.

Maye ensured that the officials’ mistake did not hurt the Patriots. After a 6-yard completion on first down, Maye took it in himself on a 6-yard touchdown draw to tie the game at 7 with 2:10 remaining before halftime.

And momentum swung in New England’s favor just before halftime.

Denver came into Sunday’s game needing Stidham to limit his mistakes against an aggressive Patriots defense. This was the exact type of play the Broncos were seeking to avoid with their starting quarterback watching the game in street clothes.

The NFL offseason has begun, and Yahoo Sports is previewing the coming months for all 32 teams, from free agency through the draft and more.

AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets
AFC North: Ravens | Bengals | Browns | Steelers
AFC South: Texans | Colts | Jaguars | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers
NFC East: Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Commanders
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Falcons | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks

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2025 season record: 14-3 (o 9.5 wins), first in AFC West, lost to Patriots in AFC championship game, seventh in DVOA

Overview

The Broncos took advantage of a down Chiefs season and not only capitalized with a first-place finish in the AFC West for the first time since 2015, but they also came away with the No. 1 seed in the conference. Denver somewhat mimicked Kansas City’s run last season with a collection of one-score wins to fuel a league-best record. The Broncos played 11 regular-season games that were decided by seven points or fewer and went 9-2. That happened with a -2 turnover margin in those games. Overall, Denver had the second-best point differential in the fourth quarter.

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Denver’s defense led the way again, with a unit that ranked seventh in EPA per play thanks to its pass rush that was third in pressure rate and another All-Pro season from Pat Surtain II behind it. The offense was inconsistent, but found enough big plays to take advantage of the opportunities presented. Bo Nix was 11th among quarterbacks in EPA per play, but just 21st in success rate. The Broncos missed Nix in the AFC championship game, losing a tight one to the Patriots, but with another year of experience under his belt, there’s a lot to like about Denver’s future. Perhaps he’ll be helped by the promotion of QB coach Davis Webb to offensive coordinator, replacing the fired Joe Lombardi.

[Get more Broncos news: Denver team feed]

Playing in so many close games and winning so many of them will typically suggest some regression in that area the following season. But with Sean Payton and the defensive talent on board, it’s not difficult to imagine the Broncos continuing to stay highly competitive in most games they play.

Cap/cuts outlook

Per Over The Cap, the Broncos have just under $29 million in effective salary cap space. That’s the 14th-most among teams. The Broncos could make a few small moves to open up some more cap space. Releasing TE Evan Engram would save just under $4 million and QB Jarrett Stidham would save $5 million. The biggest cap savings would come from safety Brandon Jones, who would open up about $8 million in space. Jones suffered a pec injury in Week 15, but had been a big part of the Denver secondary until the injury. The Broncos don’t need to make any of those cuts, so if they want to open up space, it’s more likely from players who will be on the roster. Restructuring offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Quinn Meinerz would open nearly $22 million.

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Key pending free agents

LB Alex Singleton
IDL John Franklin-Myers
RB J.K. Dobbins
LB Justin Strnad

Singleton was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the season, but missed only one game. He finished 13th in tackles and 58% of those produced a positive play for the defense, which was the fifth-highest rate among linebackers with at least 100 tackles. Franklin-Meyers came over in a trade from the Jets before the 2024 season for a sixth-round draft pick. He put up 14.5 sacks over those two years and was eighth among interior linemen in ESPN’s pass rush win rate in 2025. Among 33 running backs with at least 150 carries, Dobbins was 10th in success rate and fourth in yards before contact per carry.

Positional needs

Wide receiver
Tight end
Linebacker
Safety

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The Broncos have a wide range of pass-catching options, but could use a more reliable top option, either at wide receiver or tight end. Courtland Sutton has been a good receiver, but among 24 wide receivers who had at least a 20% target share in 2025, Sutton ranked 25th in yards per route run. Denver was reportedly interested in Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline, but balked at the asking price. It’s possible the Broncos could revisit a receiver trade in the offseason.

Defensive needs will come down to how free agency plays out. If Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are re-signed, then a trio with Dre Greenlaw should be enough for 2026, though some depth could be added behind them. Greenlaw played only eight games, missing time with multiple injuries and a one-game suspension. The same goes for safety if Brandon Jones isn’t on the roster. It is a fairly interesting safety class in free agency and that position is still being undervalued on the open market.

2026 NFL Draft picks

1st round, pick No. 30
2nd round, pick No. 62
3rd round, pick No. 94
4th round
4th round
5th round
7th round
7th round (projected compensatory)
7th round (projected compensatory)

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What could move the fantasy needle in 2026?

Continue to develop young talent

Denver finished the regular season ranked 15th in EPA per play and 19th in success rate. That was right in line with its 16th and 18th finishes in 2024. This time last year, my recommendation for the Broncos after losing in the Wild Card round was to “hone the offense around Bo Nix.” This season was a start but not the end of that pursuit. The team took RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant in the 2025 NFL Draft on Day 2, saw second-year receiver Troy Franklin take a step forward and added J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram in free agency.

Dobbins was a big win as a free agent add and was missed once he went down. The young players look like contributors and could be even better in 2026 but I’m not sure Denver should rest on its laurels with Bryant, Franklin or even Harvey.

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If there are playmakers available at wide receiver for this team, they would be welcome additions. Even No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton was inconsistent this season and will turn 31 in 2026. Franklin and Bryant don’t look like future WR1s at this stage, so don’t rule out a big swing at receiver. — Matt Harmon

Good draft fit

KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

The Broncos could really expand their passing attack with Concepcion, who will bring a big-play element and plays bigger than his size (5-foot-11, 190 pounds). Concepcion can do damage from the slot and has good after-catch ability, which will complement Courtland Sutton on the outside and give Bo Nix a solid option in the passing attack.

Betting nugget

Bo Nix went 8-0 against the spread as a favorite his rookie season, but he was only 3-9 ATS as a favorite this season, even though the Broncos won 14 regular-season games. — Ben Fawkes