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Penalties are an under-discussed aspect of NFL success and failure. Average teams can become playoff contenders with good discipline, and good teams can become great simply by winning the penalty battle.

Let's look at how the Denver Broncos performed from a penalty perspective in 2025 and where they can improve in 2026.

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Denver Broncos 2026 Penalty Outlook: Discipline, Flags & Hidden Edges

The Good

  • Denver’s defense ended 2025 as a top-five ranked unit at generating penalties on opposing offenses.
  • The Denver defense and home crowd were again the gold standard at generating pre-snap infractions on opposing teams at Mile High, with 64% of penalties generated via false start, delay of game, and illegal formation in home contests.
  • The defense was a top-five unit at generating penalties on opposing offenses on third-down plays.
  • The Broncos were one of the better second-half offensive units from a penalty perspective, with approximately a 25% decline in penalties half to half.
  • The Broncos recorded a net positive penalty advantage versus opponents in the first and fourth quarters of contests.

The Bad

  • The Broncos were the No. 1 penalized defense in per-game average. This is slightly misleading for a variety of reasons, and the aforementioned penalties generated by the Denver defense in large part offset some of their own penalty numbers.
  • The defense ranked No. 1 in surrendering automatic first downs via penalty. However, they did commit 65% of these infractions on less punitive first and second-down plays, slightly higher than the combined league average on those downs.
  • The defense co-ranked No. 1 (with Detroit) in third-down defensive penalty per-game average.
  • The defense ranked No. 1 for defensive pass interference, with each infraction surrendering an average of 17.5 yards. The NFL average was 15.2 yards.

Grade: B

The Broncos were within arm’s reach of a Super Bowl appearance, their season ending just short of the big game due to a freakish Bo Nix injury that knocked him out of the AFC Championship Game and severely limited the Denver offense.

Fast forward to 2026, and the Broncos' ability to navigate their gauntlet of a schedule over the opening six weeks will lay the foundation for another double-digit win season.

It is difficult to see the Broncos surpassing last season’s 14-3 record, but at this stage in the team's evolution under Sean Payton, postseason success is how Denver will be ultimately judged moving forward.

Their defense is already championship caliber, and the team’s success largely hinges on Bo Nix returning with no ill effects from his injury and taking another step towards being an elite-level quarterback.

If that scenario unfolds, the Broncos will be in prime position to take care of unfinished business in a stacked AFC field of contenders.

This analysis continues in the 2026 Football Preview

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