Broncos’ path to the AFC Championship - Who could they face in the Divisional Round?

The Denver Broncos finished the 2025 regular season as the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14–3 record, earning a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

That top seed is a huge advantage. It gives Denver an extra week to rest and prepare, and means the Broncos will host their divisional matchup on Jan. 17–18. But who will they play?

How NFL Playoff seeding works

In the NFL’s 14-team playoff format:

• The No. 1 seed in each conference get byes through the Wild Card Round.
• After Wild Card winners are decided, teams are re-seeded for the Divisional Round.
• The No. 1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed, while the No. 2 seed hosts the next lowest.

For Denver, that means they’ll face the lowest-seeded team that advances out of the AFC Wild Card games.

Broncos’ possible Divisional Round opponents

Here are the teams the Broncos could host, depending on how the Wild Card Round unfolds:

• No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers

If the Steelers beat the No. 5 Texans, they will be the highest remaining seed after Denver. That would happen in the scenario where wild-card upsets come from lower-seed teams. The Steelers currently match up against Houston and are considered a strong defensive team capable of pulling off a surprise.

• No. 5 Houston Texans

If Houston beats the Steelers and other higher seeds fall in the Wild Card Round, the Texans could be Denver’s opponent. The Texans have enough offensive firepower to challenge higher seeds and could move on with an upset.

• No. 6 Buffalo Bills

If the Bills upset No. 3 Jacksonville and other draws go their way, Buffalo could be one of the lowest remaining seeds. A Bills matchup could be a revenge scenario from recent playoff history.

• No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers

If the Chargers beat the No. 2 Patriots on the road as the No. 7 seed, they would be the lowest surviving team, meaning Denver would host them. A Broncos-Chargers game would be a rematch of their Week 18 contest.

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No matter who the Broncos face, Denver’s home-field advantage is huge. Mile High Stadium’s altitude and crowd noise are notoriously tough for visiting teams, especially in January. As the top seed, Denver gets the easiest path on paper, hosting the weakest survivor from the Wild Card games, and only needs two more wins to secure a Super Bowl berth.

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