Last time Broncos won a Super Bowl Revisiting the 2016 championship and Denvers drought sinc

In 2024, the clinched a playoff spot in Week 18 with a over the , ending one of the longest active playoff droughts in the league. The franchise earned the No. 7 seed after a 10-7 regular season, but they fell short in a lopsided lo s to the . Denver returned with a vengeance in 2025, though, and locked up the No. 1 seed. After a wild-card round bye, the Broncos outlasted the Bills in a 33-30 overtime instant cla sic. Denver is not typically an organization a sociated with playoff droughts, but the last decade has been rocky for the team. Since their last playoff win in 2016 (prior to the 2025 playoffs), the Broncos have had six head coaches and 14 different starting quarterbacks. Sean Payton finally got the Broncos back to the playoffs in his second season at the helm for Denver, in large part thanks to the play of rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos' last playoff win prior to the 2025 playoffs was a memorable moment not only in the franchise's history but in NFL history. The Sporting News examines Denver's last Super Bowl win. MORE: When was the Broncos' last Super Bowl win? The last time the Broncos won a playoff game prior Vincent Lecavalier Jersey to 2025 was a memorable Super Bowl run to win its third NFL championship. The Broncos played in Super Bowl 50 after going 12-4 in the regular season. Their opponent was a team that had just one lo s all season. Denver was led by its defense, as stars like Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Chris Harris Jr. helped form a dominant unit. This game also happened to be Peyton Manning's last in the NFL, as the Hall-of-Famer got to go out with a win. Manning was noticeably diminished in his final season he had just nine touchdowns in 10 games during the regular season but he managed the offense as Denver relied on its running game. In Super Bowl 50, the Broncos got off to a good start with a field goal on its opening po se sion. It was followed by a Miller sack of Cam Newton that the Broncos returned for a touchdown. Later in the game, with Denver up 16-10, Miller sealed the deal with another sack and forced fumble of Newton, this time in Carolina's territory. . in Super Bowl 50: Forever a legend out in NFL (@NFL) The Broncos won the game 24-10, and Miller totaled 2.5 sacks on the night which helped him earn Super Bowl MVP. Manning had 141 pa sing yards and a two-point conversion in the game, but it was good enough for him to get his second Super Bowl title. Other key performances in that game included running back C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, and Ware, who totaled two sacks himself. In fact, the Denver defense had seven sacks and forced four turnovers in the game, producing one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history. MORE: Longest active NFL playoff win droughts Here are the longest active NFL playoff win droughts: Team Drought (Seasons) Last playoff win Miami Dolphins 26 Dec. 30, 2000 Las Vegas Raiders 24 Jan. 19, 2003 New York Jets 16 Jan. 16, 2011 Arizona Cardinals 11 Jan. 16, 2016 Carolina Panthers 11 Jan. 24, 2016 Atlanta Falcons 10 Jan. 6, 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers* 9 Jan. 15, 2017 Among these teams, the Broncos hold an interesting spot on this list, as they are the only team whose last playoff win was a Super Bowl victory. In the early 2010s, Denver was a powerhouse in the AFC, making the playoffs in five straight seasons and winning six playoff games. However, since the Super Bowl win, it hasn't been able to return to the postseason until this year, ending the second-longest active playoff drought in the league. MORE: Dyllan Gill Jersey