When the Denver Broncos take the field against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday during the NFL Wild Card Round, it’ll mark a long-awaited return to the postseason for Denver.
The run to the playoffs behind head coach Sean Payton and rookie quarterback Bo Nix took many by surprise, as the team was expected to finish near the bottom of the AFC.
Instead, they’ll be back in the postseason for the first time in over 3,200 days, nearly nine full years.
It has been 3,255 days since the Broncos were last in the playoffs.
That long drought is over.
The Broncos will be playing in the postseason this year. pic.twitter.com/QGcWu4Q7TX
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 6, 2025
Denver’s last playoff game was its 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Quarterback Peyton Manning retired after the game, leading to a revolving door at quarterback, where 14 players started under center for the Broncos before Bo Nix was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nix turned things around for the team, starting all 17 games and making the most of his rookie season. The former Oregon Duck threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
Denver’s nine-season playoff drought was the second-longest in the NFL, behind the New York Jets, who have gone 14 years without appearing in the postseason.
The Panthers and Falcons are now tied for the second-longest droughts with seven seasons each.
The Broncos and Bills will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 12.
