2023 Denver Broncos season

Unrestricted

Note: Unrestricted free agents who were originally Restricted free agents (RFA) had three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season, and did not receive a qualifying offer before the start of the 2023 league year on March 15.

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Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The Broncos kicked off the 2023 season against their AFC West division rival Las Vegas Raiders. This marked Sean Payton's debut as the Broncos' head coach. The Raiders grabbed the early lead on their initial possession, with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo connecting on a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. The Broncos responded on their first possession, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey. However, placekicker Wil Lutz missed wide-right on the extra point attempt — a miscue that would prove to be critical to the game's outcome. A 24-yard field goal by placekicker Daniel Carlson gave the Raiders a 10–6 lead early in the second quarter. The Broncos took their first just lead before halftime, with Wilson's second touchdown pass of the first half — a 5-yarder to wide receiver Courtland Sutton.^[143]

Lutz missed wide right on a 55-yard field goal attempt on the initial possession of the second half. The Raiders then marched down the field and faced a 3rd-and-goal from the Broncos' 6-yard line. However, Garoppolo was intercepted by safety Kareem Jackson in the end zone for a touchback, late in the third quarter. The Broncos then had a first-and-goal from the Raiders' 8-yard line; however, they failed to score a touchdown, and instead, settled for a 24-yard field goal by Lutz midway through the fourth quarter. The Raiders took a 17–16 lead six plays later, with another touchdown pass from Garoppolo to Meyers — from 6 yards out. The Broncos went three-and-out, and were forced to punt. The Raiders faced a 3rd-and-8 from their own 44-yard line with exactly three minutes left in the game. Meyers was stopped one yard short of a first down on a pass completion from Garoppolo; however, Jackson was flagged for an unnecessary roughness flag for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Meyers, giving the Raiders a first down. The Broncos' defense was unable to stop Garoppolo from scrambling for a game-clinching 8-yard first down run.^[143]

Week 2: vs. Washington Commanders

The Broncos took a 21–3 lead over the Commanders with touchdowns on each of their first three possessions, consisting of a 5-yard touchdown run by running back Jaleel McLaughlin and two touchdown passes from quarterback Russell Wilson — a 60-yarder to wide receiver Marvin Mims and a 16-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Johnson. However, the Broncos' offense would sputter for the remainder of the game and their defense was unable to stop the Commanders. After Wilson was strip-sacked by linebacker Jamin Davis, the momentum shifted to the Commanders. Quarterback Sam Howell connected on a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Logan Thomas on a 4th-and-goal, with a two-point conversion that was initially ruled unsuccessful, but overturned by review. The Broncos' lead was narrowed to 21–14 just before halftime, with a 49-yard field goal by Commanders' placekicker Joey Slye, who missed from 49 and made from 44 in the first quarter.^[144]

After a Broncos' three-and-out to start the second half, the Commanders tied the game at 21–21, with Howell throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Following an interception of Russell, Slye missed wide-right on a 59-yard field goal attempt. The Broncos reached the red zone on the ensuing possession, but were forced to settle for a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz. The Commanders took their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, with running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushing for a 2-yard touchdown, then added to their lead, with another rushing touchdown by Robinson — a 15-yarder midway through the fourth quarter. After being outscored 32–3 since early in the second quarter, the Broncos found themselves trailing 35–24. A 32-yard field goal by Lutz on the first play after the two-minute warning pulled the Broncos to a 35–27 deficit. After burning all of their team timeouts and forcing a Commanders' punt, the Broncos had one last possession at their own 13-yard line and with 48 seconds remaining. With 3 seconds remaining, Wilson heaved a desperation hail mary pass that was caught by Johnson for a touchdown. The Broncos needed a two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. However, Wilson's pass that was intended for wide receiver Courtland Sutton fell incomplete.^[144]

Week 3: at Miami Dolphins

The Broncos were overwhelmed by the Dolphins, in an embarrassing 70–20 loss. The Broncos' defense surrendered franchise worsts in points (70), yards (726) and overall touchdowns in one game (10), and tied a franchise record for rushing touchdowns in one game (5). The 50-point loss was the third-worst margin of defeat in Broncos' franchise history, behind a 59–7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 and a 51–0 loss to the Oakland Raiders in 1967. Dolphins' quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns, with most of the help coming from running backs Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, who combined for eight of the ten total touchdowns. Broncos' quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 306 yards and only one touchdown, while wide receiver Marvin Mims returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.^[145]

The 70 points scored by the Dolphins was tied for the second-most in a single regular-season game in NFL history, only trailing a 72-point output by the Washington Redskins in 1966.^[146]

Week 4: at Chicago Bears

The Broncos took the early lead over the Bears on their initial possession, with quarterback Russell Wilson connecting on an 18-yard touchdown pass with running back Jaleel McLaughlin. The Broncos' offense would then sputter, failing to advance past their own 44-yard line on their next four possessions, and the Bears reeled off 28 unanswered points. The Broncos' defense yielded four touchdown passes to Bears' quarterback Justin Fields—two to tight end Cole Kmet, and one apiece to wide receiver D. J. Moore and running back Khalil Herbert. The Broncos trailed 28–7 with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter, but proceeded to score the final 24 points of the game. Wilson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Johnson near the end of the third quarter, followed in the fourth quarter by a 13-yarder to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Then the Broncos' defense came up with a crucial turnover, with linebacker Nik Bonitto forcing a strip sack and fumble off Fields, and linebacker Jonathon Cooper returning the fumble 42 yards for a game-tying touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. The Bears then marched down the field, and faced a 4th-and-1 at the Broncos' 18-yard line with 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, instead of a go-ahead field goal, the Bears decided to go for a first-down, but turned the football over on downs when Fields was tackled for no gain by linebacker Alex Singleton. Five plays later, a 51-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz put the Broncos ahead to stay with 1:51 remaining in the game. The Bears attempted a rally, but after reaching their own 47-yard line, Fields was intercepted by safety Kareem Jackson for the Broncos' first win of the season.^[147]

Week 5: vs. New York Jets

Following a 30-yard field goal by Jets' placekicker Greg Zuerlein, the Broncos grabbed the lead, with a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to running back Jaleel McLaughlin. On the Broncos' next possession, Wilson was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. The Broncos led 13–8 at halftime, after two short field goals by placekicker Wil Lutz—from 22 and 23 yards out, with a 26-yard field goal by Zuerlein in between. After the Broncos went three-and-out to start the second half, Jets' running back Breece Hall ran for a 72-yard touchdown—the first of 16 unanswered Jets points. Zuerlein added three more field goals—a 27-yarder in the third quarter, followed by 27- and 49-yarders in the fourth quarter. The Broncos trailed 24–13 midway through the fourth quarter, after two punts and a lost fumble in Jets' territory. A 3-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to tight end Adam Trautman, coupled with a successful two-point conversion by fullback Michael Burton, pulled the Broncos to within a 24–21 deficit with 4:48 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Jets were attempting to run out the clock, and faced a 3rd-and-5 at the Broncos' 27-yard line; however, quarterback Zach Wilson was intercepted by cornerback Patrick Surtain II near the goal line. With 2:14 remaining in the game, the Broncos attempted a rally, but Russell Wilson was strip-sacked by Jets' defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and cornerback Bryce Hall returned the fumble 39 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. ^[148]

Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs

The Broncos' defense limited Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes to one touchdown pass and four field goals by placekicker Harrison Butker, but the defensive effort was wasted by a poor performance by the offense. Quarterback Russell Wilson completed 13 of 22 passes for only 95 yards, and the Broncos trailed 16–0 at the 9:22 mark of the fourth quarter. Wilson finally got the Broncos on the scoreboard, with an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton that was initially ruled as an incomplete pass, but overturned by a booth review. The subsequent two-point conversion by running back Javonte Williams pulled the Broncos to within a 16–8 deficit with six minutes remaining in the game. However, Butker's fourth field goal of the game—a 52-yarder at the two-minute warning, put the game out of reach. It was the Chiefs' 16th consecutive win over the Broncos—a streak that ended two weeks later in Denver.^[149]

Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers

Midway through the third quarter, all of the scoring came by way of the placekickers—three field goals by the Broncos' Wil Lutz, and one by the Packers' Anders Carlson. The Broncos increased their lead to 16–3, with the game's first touchdown—an 18-yard pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. However, the Packers' responded, with two touchdown passes by quarterback Jordan Love—a 16-yarder to wide receiver Romeo Doubs, followed by a 4-yarder to wide receiver Jayden Reed that gave the Packers a 17–16 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Nine plays later, the Broncos re-claimed the lead, with Lutz's fourth field goal of the game—a 52-yarder with 3:54 remaining in the game. The Packers attempted a rally, but Love was intercepted by safety P. J. Locke deep in Broncos' territory. The Broncos then ran out the clock.^[150]

Week 8: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Broncos' defense forced five turnovers—three fumbles and two interceptions off Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and limited the Chiefs' offense to three field goals—all in the first half—in a 24–9 win. It was the first time since Week 13 of the 2021 season (also against the Broncos) in which Mahomes did not throw a touchdown pass. Broncos' quarterback Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes—one apiece to running back Javonte Williams and wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. The Broncos held a 14–9 lead early in the fourth quarter, and after Chiefs' return specialist Mecole Hardman muffed a punt, Wilson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Sutton and placekicker Wil Lutz later capped the scoring off with a 28-yard field goal with only 31 seconds remaining. With the win, the Broncos snapped a 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs, dating back to 2015.^[151]

Week 10: at Buffalo Bills

The Broncos' defense forced two turnovers off the Bills' first two possessions—a fumble and an interception off quarterback Josh Allen, but only got one scoring a play—a 40-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz. The Broncos added to their lead midway through the second quarter, with quarterback Russell Wilson completing a pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton along the side of the end zone that was initially ruled an incomplete pass, but ruled a touchdown after instant replay revealed that Sutton dragged his toes in bounds. However, Lutz hit the left upright on the extra point attempt. The Bills responded, and got on the scoreboard, with Allen connecting on a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid, with a successful two-point conversion. Lutz added two more field goals—from 49 and 40 yards out, to give the Broncos a 15–8 halftime lead. The latter field goal occurred after another interception of Allen. After an exchange of punts to start the second half, Sutton lost a fumble at the Bills' 45-yard line, and the Bills capitalized, with running back Latavius Murray rushing for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game midway through the third quarter. After a pair of punt exchanges, the Broncos reclaimed the lead with 5:10 remaining in the game. Wilson connected with running back Javonte Williams for a 3-yard touchdown pass. However, the extra point attempt was botched, leaving the score at 21–15. The Bills then drove down the field, and on the first play after the two-minute warning, Allen scrambled for a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Bills their first lead of the game.^[152]

Wilson engineered a comeback that was aided by two crucial penalties on Buffalo. First, the Broncos faced a 3rd-and-10 from the Bills' 45-yard line with 35 seconds left. A pass attempt intended for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was incomplete, but pass interference was called on Bills' cornerback Taron Johnson at the 17-yard line. Following a quick kneel down, and without any timeouts, the Broncos rushed their field goal unit onto the field. Lutz missed the 41-yard attempt wide right; however, the Bills were flagged for having 12 men on the field, giving Lutz a second chance with only four seconds left. Lutz then redeemed himself—kicking the game-winning 36-yard field goal as time expired.^[152]

Week 11: vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Broncos' offense struggled for most of the game, settling for five field goals by placekicker Wil Lutz through the early portion of the fourth quarter. Each field goal, for the exception of a 52-yarder just before halftime, was the result of the Broncos failing to score a touchdown in the red zone, and three of those field goals occurred after Vikings' turnovers. Defensively, the Broncos yielded two touchdowns to Vikings' quarterback Joshua Dobbs—one passing and one rushing, as well as two field goals by placekicker Greg Joseph. The Broncos trailed 20–15 with 3:20 remaining in the game, when quarterback Russell Wilson engineered a game-winning drive for the second consecutive game—a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the back of the end zone, with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt. The Vikings had one last possession with 1:03 remaining in the game, hoping to reach field goal range. However, after earning one first down at their own 36-yard line, and burning two timeouts in the process, Dobbs threw four consecutive incomplete passes, including a 15-yard intentional grounding penalty on 3rd down, ending the Vikings' rally attempt. With the win, the Broncos earned their first four-game winning streak since 2016.^[153]

Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns

After achieving only one rushing touchdown the entire season, the Broncos jumped out to a 14–0 lead on a pair of rushing touchdowns—a 3-yarder by running back Samaje Perine in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 2-yarder by quarterback Russell Wilson. The Browns then scored 12 unanswered points—two field goals by placekicker Dustin Hopkins late in the second quarter, followed by a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to tight end Harrison Bryant midway through the third quarter. Wide receiver Amari Cooper dropped what would have been the game-tying two point conversion in the end zone. However, the Broncos' defense held the Browns scoreless for the remainder of the game, and the Broncos added 15 more points—two short field goals by placekicker Wil Lutz, an 8-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to tight end Adam Trautman, and Broncos defensive end Zach Allen sacked Browns' backup quarterback P. J. Walker in the end zone for a safety. With the win, the Broncos earned their first five-game winning streak since their 2015 Super Bowl-winning season.^[154]

Week 13: at Houston Texans

The Broncos' offense struggled throughout the first three quarters of the game, only managing a 34-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz late in the second quarter. The Broncos failed to advance past midfield on 6 of their first 7 possessions, excluding a kneel down just before halftime. The Broncos trailed 16–3 after three field goals by Texans' placekicker Matt Ammendola and a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Dameon Pierce. The latter occurred after a personal foul on Broncos' linebacker Alex Singleton on Texans' quarterback C. J. Stroud negated a false start on 4th-and-goal. The Broncos finally reached the end zone late in the third quarter, with quarterback Russell Wilson connecting on a 45-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. After forcing a Texans' punt, Wilson was intercepted by cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. deep in Broncos' territory, giving the Texans a short field. The Texans took advantage of the turnover and added to their lead, with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to wide receiver Nico Collins on the second play of the fourth quarter, with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt. The Broncos responded, with a 5-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Wilson to narrow the Texans' lead to 22–17. After forcing a Texans' punt, Wilson was intercepted again by Stingley, this one at the Texans' 27-yard line. After forcing one more Texans' punt, the Broncos had one more possession at their own 20-yard line at the 4:36 mark of the fourth quarter. With only 23 seconds remaining and no timeouts, the Broncos faced a 1st-and-goal at the Texans' 8-yard line after two successful 4th-down conversions. However, after two incomplete passes, Wilson's pass intended for tight end Lucas Krull was intercepted by Texans' safety Jimmie Ward in the end zone for a touchback.^[155]

Week 14: at Los Angeles Chargers

The Broncos' defense dominated the game, holding the Chargers to 0-for-12 on 3rd down and 1-of-6 on 4th down with two turnovers. The Chargers were unable to take advantage of an early interception of Russell Wilson deep in Broncos' territory, failing on a 4th-and-3 instead of kicking a field goal at the 6-yard line. The Broncos took advantage of an interception of Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert, with a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Javonte Williams, and added a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Wil Lutz just before halftime. Herbert exited the game in the second quarter with a finger injury, and was replaced by backup quarterback Easton Stick for the remainder of the game. The Broncos added to their lead in the third quarter, with Wilson connecting on a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. After a 3-yard touchdown run by Chargers' running back Austin Ekeler narrowed the Broncos' lead to 17–7 early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos put the game out of reach, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to tight end Adam Trautman. With the win, the Broncos snapped an 11-game road losing streak against their AFC West opponents.^[156]

Week 15: at Detroit Lions

The Broncos' offense struggled in the first half and never recovered from a 21–0 halftime deficit, in a 42–17 loss to the Lions. The Broncos' defense surrendered five touchdown passes to Lions' quarterback Jared Goff and one rushing touchdown to running back Jahmyr Gibbs. On the offensive side of the football, quarterback Russell Wilson threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and placekicker Wil Lutz added a 23-yard field goal, but the Broncos never got any closer than an 18-point deficit in the second half.^[157]

Week 16: vs. New England Patriots

All three of the Broncos' first three possessions started in Patriots' territory—at the 6-, 46- and 25-yard lines; however, the Broncos were only able to achieve one scoring play—a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Javonte Williams. After forcing a strip sack and fumble off Patriots' quarterback Bailey Zappe on the game's first play from scrimmage, the Broncos failed to capitalize on a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line and only gained four yards after starting at the 46-yard line. After a 33-yard field goal by Patriots' placekicker Chad Ryland early in the second quarter, the Broncos reached the Patriots' 38-yard line, only for Williams to commit a fumble, ending the drive. Both placekickers—Ryland and the Broncos' Wil Lutz, missed long field goal attempts after the two-minute warning, leaving the score at 7–3 in favor of the Broncos at halftime. In the third quarter, the Broncos' offense struggled, with quarterback Russell Wilson being sacked four times, the defense surrendered 20 unanswered points. First, Zappe connected on two touchdown passes—a 15-yarder to running back Ezekiel Elliott (with a missed extra point attempt), followed by an 11-yarder to tight end Mike Gesicki. The Broncos were victimized by a disastrous play on the kickoff following the latter touchdown, as return specialist Marvin Mims fumbled near the goal line, and safety Cody Davis scooped up the football for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 23–7 lead. After a poor offensive performance for most of the game, Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter—a 3-yarder to tight end Lucas Krull, followed by a 21-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Johnson—both with successful two-point conversions, to tie the game at 23–23 with only three minutes remaining in the game. After forcing a Patriots' punt, the Broncos' offense went three-and-out, giving the Patriots the football at their own 19-yard line with 58 seconds remaining in the game. However, after the Broncos called two timeouts on defense, the Patriots marched down the field, culminating in a 56-yard game-winning field goal by Ryland in the final seconds.^[158]

Week 17: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Each placekicker exchanged field goals—a 32-yarder by the Broncos' Wil Lutz in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 36-yarder by the Chargers' Cameron Dicker. Broncos' backup quarter Jarrett Stidham, playing in place of the benched Russell Wilson, connected on a 54-yard pass to wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey for the game's only touchdown. Lutz added a 43-yard field goal just after the two-minute warning, but missed wide-right on a 48-yard attempt in the final seconds of the first half, for a 13–3 Broncos' halftime lead. A 50-yard field goal by Dicker was the only scoring play of the third quarter, and Lutz countered with a 20-yarder early in the fourth quarter. A 52-yard field goal by Dicker narrowed the Broncos' lead to 13–6 with only 1:21 remaining in the game. The Chargers' onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, sealing the Broncos' win, and their first season sweep of the Chargers since 2019. However, the Broncos were eliminated from postseason contention after the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs both won their respective games, which extended their playoff drought to eight seasons dating back to 2016.^[159]

Week 18: at Las Vegas Raiders

In the Broncos' season finale, the Raiders took the early lead, with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers running for a 5-yard touchdown. The Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with quarterback Jarrett Stidham connecting on a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. The Raiders then scored 17 unanswered points, starting with a 49-yard field goal by placekicker Daniel Carlson and a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aidan O'Connell to wide receiver Davante Adams before halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, O'Connell connected on a 33-yard touchdown pass to Meyers, for a 24–7 Raiders' lead. The Broncos' offense struggled after their initial scoring play, failing to advance past midfield on three possessions (excluding a kneel down before halftime), and turning the football over on down at the Raiders' 36-yard line on a 4th-and-3. The Broncos narrowed the Raiders' lead at the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter, with running back Javonte Williams rushing for a 2-yard touchdown on a direct snap. However, the Broncos' defense was unable to prevent the Raiders from going on a 15-play, 72-yard drive that devoured nearly eight minutes, culminating in a 21-yard field goal by Carlson with 2:23 remaining in the game. The Broncos attempted a rally, but six plays into their final possession, Stidham was intercepted at the Raiders' 18-yard line with only one minute remaining in the game.^[160] With the loss, the Broncos ended their season at 8-9, finishing 3-3 against the AFC West and 3-5 on the road. However, as of 2025, this remains the last time the Broncos had lost to the Raiders, along with being their most recent losing season.

Division

Conference

Team leaders

Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.^[161]

League rankings

Source for this section: Pro-Football Reference.^[162]