2021 Denver Broncos season

2021 Denver Broncos season
Owner	The Bowlen family (via Pat Bowlen’s estate)
General manager	George Paton
Head coach	Vic Fangio
Home field	Empower Field at Mile High
Results
Record	7–10
Division place	4th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
AP All-Pros	FS Justin Simmons (2nd team)
Uniform
← 2020 Broncos seasons 2022 →

The 2021 season was the Denver Broncos' 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 62nd overall. It was also the final season under the ownership of Pat Bowlen's estate who owned the team since the 1984 season.

2021 marked the first season since 2011 in which John Elway did not serve as general manager, as he relinquished those duties shortly after the end of the 2020 season. Elway remained part of the Broncos' personnel, as the president of football operations, and led the hiring of new general manager George Paton.

The Broncos started 3–0, albeit against teams who would combine for a 11–40 record (New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets), but after that, the Broncos' performance was memorably bad, going 4–10 the rest of the way, including losing their last four games. The Broncos' slightly improved on their 5–11 record from 2020, but missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season and suffered their fifth consecutive losing season—both the second-longest in franchise history following a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17.^[1][2] Linebacker Von Miller, the Broncos' franchise record-holder for the most career sacks, was traded to the Los Angeles Rams at mid-season.^[3]

Statistically, the Broncos' ranked third in scoring defense, and their defense also ranked within the top 10 in total yards and passing yards. However, their offense ranked in the bottom 10 in points scored, scoring 30+ points only twice and failing to reach 20 points in 9 of their 17 games, resulting in the firing of head coach Vic Fangio after three seasons.^[4]

• February 4: Chris Cook was hired as an offensive quality control coach.^[5]
• February 8: Christian Parker was hired as a defensive backs coach. He spent the previous two seasons with the Green Bay Packers as a defensive quality control coach.^[6] Parker replaces Renaldo Hill, who departed on January 25 to become the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator.^[7]

• January 3: During halftime of the Broncos' 2020 regular season finale, director of player personnel Matt Russell announced his retirement, after eight seasons in that role.^[8]
• January 4: John Elway announced that he will remain president of football operations, but will relinquish his general manager duties, and led the hiring of a new general manager.^[9]
• January 13: George Paton was hired as the new Broncos' general manager. Paton spent the previous 14 seasons in the Minnesota Vikings' front office, including the previous nine seasons as the Vikings' assistant general manager and the last three as vice president of player personnel.^[10]
• May 21: Darren Mougey was promoted to be Paton's right-hand man, director of player personnel.^[11]

All players listed below were signed to reserve/future contracts on January 4, unless noted otherwise. The signings include all ten players who were on the practice squad of the final roster at the end of the 2020 season. Each player was officially added to the active roster on March 17—the first day of the 2021 league year.^[12]

Position	Player	Notes
OT	Quinn Bailey	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on January 7[15]
WR	Trinity Benson	traded to the Detroit Lions on August 31[16]
WR	Fred Brown	waived February 2[17]
S	Chris Cooper	waived June 7[18]
RB	Jeremy Cox	waived May 3[19]
RB	Damarea Crockett	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on September 22,[20] waived October 26,[21] assigned to the practice squad on October 27,[22] promoted to the active roster on December 4,[23] waived December 21,[24] assigned to the practice squad on December 23[25]
WR	Kendall Hinton	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on September 14[26]
TE	Jordan Leggett	waived February 2[17]
C	Patrick Morris	signed January 5,[27] waived July 27[28]
OT	Darrin Paulo	waived February 2[17]
DT	Deyon Sizer	designated as waived/injured on August 17,[29] assigned to the practice squad on December 28,[30] released from the practice squad on January 3[31]

Position	Player	2021 team	Notes
LB	Jeremiah Attaochu	Chicago Bears	signed with the Bears on March 21[32]
CB	De'Vante Bausby	Las Vegas Raiders	signed with the Raiders on June 17[33]
TE	Jake Butt	Chicago Bears	signed with the Bears on June 18[34]
LB	Austin Calitro	Chicago Bears	originally an RFA, signed with the Bears on May 17[35]
LB	Anthony Chickillo	None	retired on July 11[36]
OT	Demar Dotson	TBD
DT	Shelby Harris	Denver Broncos	re-signed March 15[37]
S	Kareem Jackson	Denver Broncos	contract option for 2021 declined on March 15,[38] re-signed March 24[39]
LB	Joseph Jones	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	signed with the Buccaneers on May 5[40]
RB	Phillip Lindsay	Houston Texans	originally an RFA, assigned right-of-first-refusal tender on March 16,[41] tender rescinded on March 18,[42] signed with the Texans on March 19[43]
LB	Von Miller	Denver Broncos	contract option for 2021 picked up on March 16[44]
S	Will Parks	Kansas City Chiefs	signed with the Chiefs on May 6[45]
S	Justin Simmons	Denver Broncos	assigned franchise tag on March 5,[46] re-signed March 19[47]
CB	Kevin Toliver	TBD	originally an RFA
DE	DeMarcus Walker	Houston Texans	signed with the Texans on April 16[48]
G	Elijah Wilkinson	Chicago Bears	signed with the Bears on March 23[49]
DT	Sylvester Williams	TBD

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 2021 league year on March 17.

Position	Player	Tag	2021 team	Notes
OT	Calvin Anderson	ERFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 16,[41] re-signed May 17[50]
LB	A. J. Johnson	RFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 16,[41] re-signed May 20[51]
S	Trey Marshall	RFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 16,[41] re-signed May 18,[52] waived August 31[13]
WR	Tim Patrick	RFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 16,[41] re-signed May 18
WR	Diontae Spencer	ERFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 16,[41] re-signed April 16[53]
Restricted Free Agent (RFA): Players with three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season Exclusive-Rights Free Agent (ERFA): Players with two or fewer accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season

Position	Player	2020 team(s)	Notes
RB	Mike Boone	Minnesota Vikings	signed March 18,[54] placed on injured reserve on September 1,[55] activated October 16[56]
OT	Cody Conway	None	signed May 17,[50] designated as waived/injured on August 4[57]
QB	Case Cookus	New York Giants	signed May 17,[50] waived May 20[51]
WR	Amara Darboh	None	signed June 17,[58] released August 6[59]
CB	Ronald Darby	Washington Football Team	signed March 17,[60] placed on injured reserve on January 7[15]
CB	Rojesterman Farris	None	signed August 2,[61] waived August 17,[29] assigned to the practice squad on September 14[26] released from the practice squad on October 5,[62] re-signed to the practice squad on October 13,[63] released from the practice squad on November 2[64]
OT	Cameron Fleming	New York Giants	signed May 20,[51] released August 31,[13] re-signed September 1[55]
CB	Mike Ford	Detroit Lions	claimed off waivers from the Lions on September 1,[65] placed on injured reserve on October 16,[56] activated November 6[66]
CB	Kyle Fuller	Chicago Bears	signed March 20[67]
NT	Justin Hamilton	Dallas Cowboys	signed December 28[30]
C	Brett Jones	Minnesota Vikings	signed July 27,[28] placed on injured reserve August 23[68]
LB	Peter Kalambayi	Houston Texans	signed June 7,[18] waived August 17[29]
RB	Adrian Killins	Philadelphia Eagles	signed August 17,[29] designated as waived/injured on August 23[68]
LB	Micah Kiser	Los Angeles Rams	signed September 22[20]
RB	Nate McCrary	Baltimore Ravens	claimed off waivers from the Ravens on September 1,[65] waived September 23[69]
DT	Isaiah Mack	New England Patriots Tennessee Titans	signed February 11,[70] waived August 31[13]
OT	Bobby Massie	Chicago Bears	signed May 12[71]
WR	David Moore	None	signed September 28,[72] released October 19,[73] assigned to the practice squad on October 20,[74] released from the practice squad on November 9[75]
LB	Aaron Patrick	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed September 23[69]
LB	Natrez Patrick	Los Angeles Rams	claimed off waivers from the Rams on January 10,[76] waived June 17[58]
WR	De'Mornay Pierson-El	None	signed June 17,[58] waived August 31[13]
TE	Eric Saubert	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed May 4[77]
CB	Saivion Smith	Dallas Cowboys	signed August 4,[78] waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 7,[79] released from the practice squad on October 26[21]
DE	Shamar Stephen	Minnesota Vikings	signed April 6,[80] released August 31,[13] re-signed September 1[55]
LB	Pita Taumoepenu	Atlanta Falcons	signed May 17,[50] released August 23,[68] assigned to the practice squad on October 19[73]
S	Tedric Thompson	Cleveland Browns	signed July 27,[28] waived August 8[81]
WR	Damion Willis	None	signed May 18,[52] waived July 20[82]

Position	Player	Notes
CB	Essang Bassey	waived December 18[83]
RB	LeVante Bellamy	designated as waived/injured on August 17[29]
CB	A. J. Bouye	released February 10[84]
DE	Jurrell Casey	released February 25[85]
WR	Tyrie Cleveland	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on October 20,[74] waived December 4,[23] promoted to the active roster on January 7[15]
CB	Duke Dawson	waived November 9,[75] assigned to the practice squad on November 10[86]
QB	Jeff Driskel	released May 4[77]
TE	Austin Fort	waived August 31[13]
RB	Royce Freeman	waived September 1[87]
CB	Nate Hairston	released August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1[14]
WR	DaeSean Hamilton	waived with a non-football injury designation on May 18[52]
DE	Jonathan Harris	waived September 1,[87] promoted to the active roster on January 3[31]
DE	Joel Heath	waived February 2[17]
S	Alijah Holder	waived February 2[17]
OT	Ja'Wuan James	released May 14, eleven days after an Achilles tendon rupture[88]
CB	Parnall Motley	waived August 31[13]
QB	Brett Rypien	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on September 28[72]
C	Austin Schlottmann	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on November 9[75]
LB	Derrek Tuszka	waived August 31[13]
TE	Nick Vannett	released March 23[89]
LB	Josh Watson	waived August 24[90]

2021 Denver Broncos Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	9	Patrick Surtain II	CB	Alabama	signed May 18,[91] placed on injured reserve on January 7[15]
2	35	Javonte Williams	RB	North Carolina	signed July 24[92]
3	98	Quinn Meinerz	C	Wisconsin–Whitewater	signed July 24[92]
	105	Baron Browning	LB	Ohio State	signed July 23[93]
4	None—see table below
5	152	Caden Sterns	S	Texas	signed May 13[94]
	164	Jamar Johnson	S	Indiana	signed May 13[94]
6	219	Seth Williams	WR	Auburn	signed May 13,[94] waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on January 3[31]
7	237	Kary Vincent Jr.	CB	LSU	signed May 13,[94] traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 2[95]
	239	Jonathon Cooper	LB	Ohio State	signed June 15[96]
	253	Marquiss Spencer	DE	Mississippi State	signed May 13,[94] waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1[14]

Trade partner	Broncos give	Broncos receive	Source
Atlanta Falcons	original 2021 second-round selection—No. 40 2021 fourth-round selection—No. 114	2021 second-round selection—No. 35 2021 sixth-round selection—No. 219	[97]
Carolina Panthers	original 2021 sixth-round selection—No. 191	QB Teddy Bridgewater	[98]
Cleveland Browns	FB Andy Janovich	2021 seventh-round selection—No. 253	[99]
New Orleans Saints	2021 third-round selection (No. 76–from NYG)	two 2021 third-round selections—Nos. 98 & 105	[100]
New York Giants	original 2021 third-round selection—No. 71	2021 third-round selection (No. 76—later traded to NO) 2021 fifth-round selection—No. 164
	CB Isaac Yiadom	2021 seventh-round selection—No. 239	[101]

All undrafted free agents were signed on May 2—one day after the 2021 NFL draft concluded,^[102] unless noted otherwise.

2021 Denver Broncos Undrafted Free Agents

Player	Position	College	Notes
Shaun Beyer	TE	Iowa	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1[14]
David Curry	LB	Georgia Tech	waived May 17[50]
Max Duffy	P	Kentucky	waived June 17[58]
DeVontres Dukes	WR	South Florida	designated as waived/injured on August 17[29]
Drew Himmelman	OT	Illinois State	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1[14]
Warren Jackson	WR	Colorado State	waived August 7[103]
Nolan Laufenberg	G	Air Force	waived August 23[68]
Mac McCain	CB	North Carolina A&T	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles on November 10[86] waived November 23[104]
Branden Mack	WR	Temple	waived August 24[90]
Andre Mintze	LB	Vanderbilt	the only undrafted rookie to make the Week 1 roster,[105] placed on injured reserve on October 19[73]
Lorenzo Neal Jr.	DT	Purdue	originally signed by the New Orleans Saints, signed by the Broncos on August 8,[81] waived August 17[29]
Adam Prentice	FB	South Carolina	waived August 31[13]
Curtis Robinson	LB	Stanford	waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on October 19,[73] waived October 26,[21] assigned to the practice squad on October 27,[22] released from the practice squad on November 30[106]
Stevie Scott III	RB	Indiana	originally signed by the New Orleans Saints, signed by the Broncos on August 23,[68] waived August 31[13]
Barrington Wade	LB	Iowa	claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on August 7,[103] waived August 31,[13] assigned to the practice squad on September 1,[14] promoted to the active roster on October 19[73] assigned to the practice squad on October 27[22]

Trade partner	Broncos give	Broncos receive	Source
Detroit Lions	WR Trinity Benson 2023 sixth-round selection	2022 fifth- and seventh-round selections	[16]
Los Angeles Rams	2024 sixth-round selection	LB Kenny Young 2024 seventh-round selection	[107]
	LB Von Miller	2022 second- and third-round selections	[3]
Minnesota Vikings	2022 seventh-round selection	LB Stephen Weatherly 2023 seventh-round selection	[108]
Philadelphia Eagles	CB Kary Vincent Jr.	2022 sixth-round selection	[95]
San Francisco 49ers	2022 sixth-round selection 2023 seventh-round selection	LB Jonas Griffith 2022 seventh-round selection	[109]

Position	Player	Time & type of injury	Games missed	Source(s)
OT	Calvin Anderson	knee, Week 12	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 13	[110]
CB	Essang Bassey	knee, Week 13 of the 2020 season	physically unable to perform list, Weeks 1–9	[13][111]
TE	Andrew Beck	elbow, Week 15	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 16[24]
RB	Mike Boone	quad, preseason	injured reserve, Weeks 1–5	[55][112][56]
QB	Teddy Bridgewater	concussion, Week 15	Week 16, season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 17	[113]
CB	Bryce Callahan	knee, Week 8	injured reserve, Weeks 9–13	[114][115]
LB	Bradley Chubb	ankle, preseason	Week 1	[116]
		bone spur in ankle, Week 2	injured reserve, Weeks 3–11	[20][117]
CB	Ronald Darby	hamstring, Week 1	injured reserve, Weeks 2–4	[26][118]
		shoulder, Week 17	season-ending injured reserve, Week 18	[15]
CB	Duke Dawson	knee, Week 14 of the 2020 season	physically unable to perform list, Weeks 1–8	[13][119]
CB	Mike Ford	knee, Week 5	injured reserve, Weeks 6–8	[56][66]
G	Graham Glasgow	ankle, Week 10	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 9	[75]
LB	Jonas Griffith	hamstring, Week 3	injured reserve, Weeks 5–7	[120][121]
WR	K. J. Hamler	torn ACL, Week 3	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 4	[122]
S	Kareem Jackson	back, Week 17	season-ending injured reserve, Week 18	[113]
WR	Jerry Jeudy	high ankle sprain, Week 1	injured reserve, Weeks 2–7	[26][121]
LB	Josey Jewell	torn pectoral muscle, Week 2	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 3	[123]
LB	A. J. Johnson	torn pectoral muscle, Week 6	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 7	[73]
C	Brett Jones	ruptured biceps, preseason	injured reserve, missed the entire 2021 season	[68][124]
LB	Micah Kiser	groin, Week 7	injured reserve, Weeks 8–13	[108][115]
LB	Von Miller	ankle, Week 7	Week 8	[125]
LB	Andre Mintze	hamstring, Week 6	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 7	[73]
CB	Michael Ojemudia	hamstring, preseason	injured reserve, Weeks 1–13	[124][115]
TE	Albert Okwuegbunam	hamstring, October 6 practice	injured reserve, Weeks 5–7	[126][121]
G	Dalton Risner	elbow, Week 17	season-ending injured reserve, Week 18	[113]
CB	Patrick Surtain II	calf, Week 17	season-ending injured reserve, Week 18	[15]
NT	DeShawn Williams	elbow, Week 16	season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 17	[30]

On November 1, linebacker Von Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for the Rams' second- and third-round selections in the 2022 NFL draft. Miller left the team as the franchise record-holder for the most career sacks in Denver Broncos' history. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and received the first-team All-Pro honor three times. He also received MVP honors in Super Bowl 50, when the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in 2015.^[3]

Each NFL team is permitted to elevate up to two players from the practice squad to the active game day roster per week, with those designated players being allowed to return to the practice squad up to two times without being exposed to waivers. If a practice squad player is elevated to the game day roster for a third time, that player will be required to clear waivers before returning to the practice squad. Teams are also permitted to protect a maximum of four practice squad players to prevent opposing teams from signing those players to their active rosters.^[127]

Week	Player(s) promoted	Source
1	RB Damarea Crockett, CB Nate Hairston	[127]
2	RB Damarea Crockett, G Austin Schlottmannn	[128]
4	LB Curtis Robinson, G Austin Schlottmannn	[129]
5	WR Tyrie Cleveland	[126]
6	WRs John Brown and Tyrie Cleveland	[56]
7	WR John Brown, LB Pita Taumoepenu	[130]
8	LB Barrington Wade	[121]
9	DE Jonathan Harris, G Austin Schlottmannn, LB Barrington Wade	[66]
10	OT Quinn Bailey, RB Damarea Crockett, OT Drew Himmelman and LB Curtis Robinson	[111]
12	OT Quinn Bailey	[117]
16	OT Quinn Bailey	[131]
17	OT Quinn Bailey, OT Drew Himmelman, S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, DE Marquiss Spencer DE Jonathan Harris, LB Barrington Wade, WR Rico Gafford, CB Rojesterman Farris	[132]
18	S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	[15]

Note: Damarea Crockett and Curtis Robinson were elevated in Week 10 as COVID-19 replacements.^[111]

• July 26: Safety Jamar Johnson and cornerback Kary Vincent Jr., the team's fifth- and seventh-round draft selections, respectively, were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[133] Vincent was activated on July 31,^[134] while Johnson was activated on August 6.^[59]
• October 26: Guard Netane Muti was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 9 with a roster exemption.^[21][75]
• November 2: Tight end Noah Fant was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 10.^[135]
• November 8: Backup quarterback Drew Lock was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 20.^[119][136]
• November 9: Cornerback Michael Ojemudia, who was on injured reserve at the time, as well as linebacker Justin Strnad, were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. They were both activated on November 20.^[75][136]
• November 12: Guard Austin Schlottmann was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 24.^[137][138]
• Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur missed the Broncos' Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles due to a positive COVID-19 test.^[139]
• November 22: Offensive tackle Garett Bolles was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on December 2.^[140][110]
• December 10: Running back Mike Boone and safety P. J. Locke were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Lock was activated on December 18,^[83] while Boone was activated on December 21.^[24]
• December 11: Linebacker Malik Reed was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[115] He was activated on December 22.^[141]
• December 23: Center Lloyd Cushenberry was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[25] He was activated on December 29^[142]
• December 27–30: In the week leading up to the Broncos' Week 16 game at the Los Angeles Chargers, numerous players were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list: defensive end McTelvin Agim, cornerbacks Bryce Callahan and Mike Ford, linebackers Baron Browning Bradley Chubb, Jonathon Cooper, Andre Mintze and Stephen Weatherly, nose tackle Mike Purcell, offensive tackles Calvin Anderson and Bobby Massie, wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick, and safety Caden Sterns.^{[143][142][144][145]} Mintze was later activated on January 1,^[132] while the rest were activated on January 5.^[113]
• January 3: Placekicker Brandon McManus and punter Sam Martin were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[31] Both were activated four days later (January 7).^[15]

2021 Denver Broncos staff

Front office President/CEO/EXECUTOR OF WILL – Joe Ellis President of football operations – John Elway General manager – George Paton Director of player personnel – Darren Mougey Director of pro personnel – A. J. Durso VP of football administration – Rich Hurtado VP of Football Operation and Compliance – Mark Thewes VP of player development – Ray Jackson Director of college scouting – Brian Stark Senior Analyst – Matt Sheldon Head coaches Head coach – Vic Fangio Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Pat Shurmur Quarterbacks – Mike Shula Running backs – Curtis Modkins Wide receivers – Zach Azzanni Tight ends – Wade Harman Offensive line – Mike Munchak Assistant offensive line – Chris Kuper Offensive quality control – Chris Cook Offensive quality control – Justin Rascati

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Ed Donatell Defensive line – Bill Kollar Assistant defensive line/assistant to head coach – Mike Hiestand Linebackers – Reggie Herring Outside linebackers – John Pagano Defensive backs – Christian Parker Defensive pass game specialist – Chris Beake Defensive quality control – Nathaniel Willingham Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Tom McMahon Assistant special teams – Chris Gould Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Loren Landow Assistant strength and conditioning – Korey Jones Assistant strength and conditioning – Mark Loecher Assistant strength and conditioning – Pierre Ngo Player performance assistant – Emily Zaler

2021 Denver Broncos roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  5 Teddy Bridgewater  3 Drew Lock  4 Brett Rypien Running backs (RB) 26 Mike Boone 25 Melvin Gordon 33 Javonte Williams Wide receivers (WR) 16 Tyrie Cleveland  9 Kendall Hinton 10 Jerry Jeudy 81 Tim Patrick 11 Diontae Spencer 14 Courtland Sutton 19 Seth Williams Tight ends (TE) 87 Noah Fant 85 Albert Okwuegbunam 82 Eric Saubert

Offensive linemen (OL) 75 Quinn Bailey T 72 Garett Bolles T 79 Lloyd Cushenberry C 73 Cameron Fleming T 70 Bobby Massie T 77 Quinn Meinerz G 52 Netane Muti G 71 Austin Schlottmann G Defensive linemen (DL) 95 McTelvin Agim DE 74 Justin Hamilton NT 92 Jonathan Harris DE 96 Shelby Harris DE 93 Dre'Mont Jones DE 98 Mike Purcell NT 99 Shamar Stephen DE

Linebackers (LB) 56 Baron Browning ILB 55 Bradley Chubb OLB 53 Jonathon Cooper OLB 50 Jonas Griffith ILB 43 Micah Kiser ILB 48 Andre Mintze OLB 94 Aaron Patrick OLB 59 Malik Reed OLB 40 Justin Strnad ILB 91 Stephen Weatherly OLB 41 Kenny Young ILB Defensive backs (DB) 29 Bryce Callahan CB 12 Mike Ford CB 23 Kyle Fuller CB 49 Jamar Johnson SS 37 P. J. Locke SS 13 Michael Ojemudia CB 31 Justin Simmons FS 30 Caden Sterns FS Special teams 46 Jacob Bobenmoyer LS  6 Sam Martin P  8 Brandon McManus K

Practice squad 88 Shaun Beyer TE 32 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix FS 28 Damarea Crockett RB 20 Duke Dawson CB (PS/I) 39 Rojesterman Farris CB 17 Travis Fulgham WR 80 Rico Gafford WR 15 Anthony Gordon QB 78 Drew Himmelman T 69 Tristen Hoge G 68 Zack Johnson G 97 Akeem Spence DE 51 Marquiss Spencer DE (COVID-19) 54 Barrington Wade ILB 86 Caleb Wilson TE Reserve 76 Calvin Anderson T (IR) 83 Andrew Beck TE (IR) 60 Cody Conway T (IR) 21 Ronald Darby CB (IR) 61 Graham Glasgow G (IR) 17 DaeSean Hamilton WR (NF-Inj.)  1 K. J. Hamler WR (IR) 27 Nate Hairston CB (COVID-19) 22 Kareem Jackson SS (IR) 47 Josey Jewell ILB (IR) 45 Alexander Johnson ILB (IR) 65 Brett Jones C (IR) 17 Adrian Killins RB (IR) 57 Natrez Patrick OLB (IR) 66 Dalton Risner G (IR)  2 Patrick Surtain II CB (IR) 90 DeShawn Williams NT (IR) Rookies in italics 52 active, 18 reserve, 13 practice squad (+2 exempt)

The Broncos' preseason schedule was announced on May 12.^[146]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 14	at Minnesota Vikings	W 33–6	1–0	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
2	August 21	at Seattle Seahawks	W 30–3	2–0	Lumen Field	Recap
3	August 28	Los Angeles Rams	W 17–12	3–0	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap

The Broncos' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12. Until the Week 18 flex, the Broncos would not have appeared on Monday Night Football for the first time since 1991.^[146]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 12	at New York Giants	W 27–13	1–0	MetLife Stadium	Recap
2	September 19	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 23–13	2–0	TIAA Bank Field	Recap
3	September 26	New York Jets	W 26–0	3–0	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
4	October 3	Baltimore Ravens	L 7–23	3–1	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
5	October 10	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 19–27	3–2	Heinz Field	Recap
6	October 17	Las Vegas Raiders	L 24–34	3–3	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
7	October 21	at Cleveland Browns	L 14–17	3–4	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
8	October 31	Washington Football Team	W 17–10	4–4	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
9	November 7	at Dallas Cowboys	W 30–16	5–4	AT&T Stadium	Recap
10	November 14	Philadelphia Eagles	L 13–30	5–5	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 28	Los Angeles Chargers	W 28–13	6–5	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
13	December 5	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 9–22	6–6	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
14	December 12	Detroit Lions	W 38–10	7–6	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
15	December 19	Cincinnati Bengals	L 10–15	7–7	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
16	December 26	at Las Vegas Raiders	L 13–17	7–8	Allegiant Stadium	Recap
17	January 2	at Los Angeles Chargers	L 13–34	7–9	SoFi Stadium	Recap
18	January 8	Kansas City Chiefs	L 24–28	7–10	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

After a scoreless first quarter, a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus gave the Broncos the early lead. The drive was extended after Teddy Bridgewater, the Broncos' fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback in as many seasons, completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Tim Patrick on a 4th-and-7 at the Giants' 37-yard line. The Giants took a 7–3 lead on their first possession of the second quarter, with a 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Sterling Shepard. It was the only time in the game that the Broncos would trail. After tight end Albert Okwuegbunam lost a fumble deep in Giants' territory, the Broncos took the lead for good with 24 unanswered points. Just before halftime, Bridgewater connected with Patrick on a 2-yard touchdown pass, three plays after another fourth down gamble near midfield. On the initial possession of the second half, Okwuegbunam atoned for his earlier fumble, with a 4-yard touchdown reception from Bridgewater on a 4th-and-1. The drive was extended after a fumble by wide receiver Jerry Jeudy at the Giants' 13-yard line was overturned by a booth review. The Giants advanced deep into Broncos' territory on their next possession; however, Broncos' linebacker Josey Jewell forced a fumble off Jones at the 15-yard line. The Broncos took advantage of the turnover, and increased their lead to 20–7 early in the fourth quarter, with a 36-yard field goal by McManus. The Giants reached the Broncos' 6-yard line with 6:30 remaining in the game, hoping for a rally, but the Broncos' defense forced a turnover on downs. Four plays later, the Broncos put the game out of reach, with a 70-yard touchdown run by running back Melvin Gordon.^[147]

After surrendering a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Marvin Jones on the game's opening drive, the Broncos reeled off 23 unanswered points. After getting on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw a pair of touchdown passes—a 12-yarder to wide receiver Tim Patrick in the second quarter, followed in the third quarter by a 14-yarder to tight end Noah Fant. Jaguars' placekicker Josh Lambo missed on two field goal attempts in the second quarter, while McManus added two more field goals—a 46-yarder late in the third quarter, followed by a 50-yarder with 5:42 remaining in the game. After the latter field goal, Jaguars' return specialist Jamal Agnew returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Jaguars to within a 23–13 deficit. However, the Broncos' defense denied the two-point conversion attempt that would have pulled the Jaguars to within a one-score deficit. The Broncos then proceeded to run out the clock.^[148]

The Broncos' defense sacked Jets' rookie quarterback Zach Wilson five times and forced two interceptions, in a dominating 26–0 win. Offensively, running backs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon each rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, and placekicker Brandon McManus added four field goals. It was the Broncos' second consecutive shutout of the Jets in Denver, following a 23–0 win in 2017. The Broncos started 3–0 for the first time since 2016.^[149]

The Broncos' offense struggled and the defense surrendered 405 yards, in a 23–7 loss to the Ravens. After a scoreless first quarter, the Broncos took a 7–0 lead early in the second quarter, with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to tight end Noah Fant. However, the Broncos' offense sputtered for the remainder of the game, and Bridgewater entered concussion protocol just before halftime. Backup quarterback Drew Lock took over in the second half, and was sacked five times. The Broncos went 3-for-14 on third down, failed to cross midfield until their last possession, when Lock was intercepted in the end zone with only ten seconds remaining in the game, and the Broncos trailing 23–7. Defensively, the Broncos' yielded two touchdowns in the second quarter—an 11-yard run by Ravens' running back Latavius Murray and a 49-yard pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson to wide receiver Marquise Brown. Placekicker Justin Tucker added three field goals—a 40-yarder at the end of the first half, followed by a 46- and 20-yarder in the fourth quarter.^[150]

A slow offensive start and three critical penalties proved costly for the Broncos, in a 27–19 loss to the Steelers. The Broncos trailed 10–3 after the defense surrendered a 50-yard touchdown pass from Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Diontae Johnson on the game's opening drive, followed by a 48-yard field goal by placekicker Chris Boswell. In between, a 39-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus got the Broncos on the scoreboard late in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, the Broncos reached the Steelers' 2-yard line after running back Javonte Williams was stopped just short of the goal line following a 49-yard run. However, Williams was flagged for a 5-yard delay of game penalty after spiking the football in anger. The Broncos lost 10 more yards after quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was sacked, forcing the Broncos to settle for a 29-yard field goal by McManus. On the Steelers' ensuing possession, Broncos' cornerback Kyle Fuller was flagged for a defensive pass interference penalty on a 3rd-and-15 from the 18-yard line. Instead of forcing a field goal attempt, the Steelers capitalized and increased their lead to 17–6 just before the two-minute warning, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Najee Harris.^[151][152]

The Broncos' offense stalled near midfield on the opening possession of the second half, and the Steelers methodically marched down to the Broncos' 33-yard line, and Boswell kicked a 51-yard field goal. However, Broncos' defensive end Dre'Mont Jones was flagged for a 15-yard leverage penalty on the field goal attempt, and instead of taking the three points, the Steelers elected for the first down. Three plays later, Roethlisberger connected with wide receiver Chase Claypool on an 18-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 24–6 lead late in the third quarter. The Broncos' offense finally got into the end zone on their next possession, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to wide receiver Kendall Hinton. After forcing a Steelers' punt, the Broncos narrowed the Steelers lead to 24–19, with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, playing on his 26th birthday, receiving a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater with 5:54 remaining in the game. However, the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful. The Steelers responded, with a 43-yard field goal by Boswell with 2:33 remaining in the game. Without any timeouts, the Broncos had one last possession, and faced a 4th-and-goal at the 3-yard line with 17 seconds remaining. However, Bridgewater was intercepted by Steelers' cornerback James Pierre in the end zone, ending the Broncos' rally attempt.^[151][152]

Each team reached the end zone on their initial possessions—Raiders' quarterback Derek Carr connected on a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Henry Ruggs, while Broncos' quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tim Patrick. However, the Broncos' struggled on both sides of the ball, and surrendered 17 unanswered points. The defense surrendered seven completions by Carr of at least 25 yards. Following a 50-yard field goal by Raiders' placekicker Daniel Carlson, Bridgewater was intercepted by cornerback Brandon Facyson late in the first quarter; however, Carlson hit the right upright on a 43-yard field goal attempt. Two touchdowns by running back Kenyan Drake—a 31-yard pass from Carr just before halftime, followed by an 18-yard run early in the third quarter—gave the Raiders a 24–7 lead. Following a 32-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Brandon McManus and a subsequent Raiders' punt, Bridgewater committed a fumble, and the Raiders extended their lead to 31–10 near the end of the third quarter, with running back Josh Jacobs rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Broncos responded on their next possession, with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. A 30-yard field goal by Carlson increased the Raiders' lead to 34–17 at the 8-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Following an interception by Bridgewater and a Raiders' punt, the Broncos narrowed the Raiders' lead to 34–24 with only 1:17 remaining in the game, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to tight end Noah Fant. The Broncos recovered the onside kick, and used their final team timeout with 59 seconds remaining. Two plays later, Bridgewater threw his third interception to end the game.^[153]

The Browns took a 10–0 lead after the first quarter, courtesy of a 4-yard touchdown run by running back D'Ernest Johnson, followed by a 52-yard field goal by placekicker Chase McLaughlin, who later had a 41-yard attempt blocked by Broncos' defensive end Shelby Harris at the 2-minute warning. The Broncos' offense failed to advance past their own 34-yard line on four of their five first half possessions; quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was intercepted in the end zone by Browns' safety John Johnson on a pass from the Browns' 34-yard line in a scoreless second quarter. The Broncos finally got on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter, with Bridgewater connecting with running back Melvin Gordon on an 8-yard touchdown pass. However, the Browns responded on their next possession, with a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Case Keenum to fullback Johnny Stanton near the end of the third quarter. Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos narrowed the deficit to 17–14, with Bridgewater's second touchdown pass of the game—a 10-yarder to running back Javonte Williams with 5:23 remaining in the game. However, the Broncos' defense was unable to prevent the Browns from running out the clock, surrendering 52 rushing yards to D'Ernest Johnson on the Browns' game-clinching drive.^[154]

Notes:

With the loss, the Broncos' 6-game winning streak in Cleveland was snapped. The Browns' last home win over the Broncos was a 16–13 victory in 1989.^[155]

This was also linebacker Von Miller's final game in a Broncos' uniform. Miller was inactive for the team's next game vs. the Washington Football Team on October 31, and he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams the following day (November 1).^[3]

Following a scoreless first quarter, each team exchanged field goals—a 45-yarder by Broncos' placekicker Brandon McManus and a 52-yarder by Washington placekicker Chris Blewitt; the latter also had a 45-yard attempt blocked by Broncos' defensive end Shelby Harris early in the second quarter. The Broncos took a 10–3 lead just before halftime, with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connecting with running back Melvin Gordon on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Following an exchange of punts to begin the second half, Washington tied the game, with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Heinicke to wide receiver DeAndre Carter near the end of the third quarter. McManus missed wide right on a 53-yard attempt on the Broncos' first possession of the fourth quarter. Washington attempted to take the lead on their next possession, and reached the Broncos' 29-yard line; however, Blewitt's field goal attempt from 47 yards out was blocked again—this one by defensive end Dre'mont Jones at the 9-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Eight plays later, Gordon's second touchdown of the game—a 7-yard run—gave the Broncos a 17–10 lead with 4:31 remaining in the game.^[156]

Washington marched down to the Broncos' 11-yard line with 2:37 remaining, hoping for a rally. Following two short completions and the two-minute warning, Heinicke was sacked by linebacker Malik Reed for a 13-yard loss at the 20-yard line. On 4th-and-19, Heinicke was intercepted in the end zone by safety Justin Simmons, ending the threat. With only 37 seconds remaining in the game, the Broncos' attempted to run out the clock. However, after a 1-yard run by running back Javonte Williams, a Washington timeout and an incomplete pass by Bridgewater, Gordon lost a fumble, and Washington recovered at the Broncos' 24-yard line, with only 21 seconds remaining in the game. However, the Broncos' defense subdued Washington's last rally attempt, sacking Heinicke on second down, forcing three incomplete passes and the exhaustion of Washington's two remaining timeouts.^[156]

The Broncos dominated the Cowboys on both sides of the ball and controlled the time of possession by a 2–1 margin, in a dominating and surprising 30–16 road win. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tim Patrick and rushed for a 1-yard sneak, and running back Melvin Gordon rushed for a 3-yard touchdown. Placekicker Brandon McManus added three field goals—from 27, 42 and 53 yards out. In the first game of the post-Von Miller era, the Broncos' defense limited the Cowboys' No. 1 ranked offense to 290 total yards and denied the Cowboys on four 4th-down attempts. The Broncos led 30–0 with four minutes remaining in the game, and the defense surrendered two touchdown pass from Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott to wide receiver Malik Turner (with two successful two-point conversions), but well after the outcome had already been decided in the Broncos' favor. With the win, the Broncos extended their winning streak against the Cowboys to seven games, dating back to 1998.^[157][158]

The Broncos fell behind 10–0 in the first quarter, with a 30-yard field goal by Eagles' placekicker Jake Elliott, followed by a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts to wide receiver DeVonta Smith. The Broncos got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Melvin Gordon. However, after forcing an Eagles' punt, the Broncos reached the red zone, but were forced to settle on a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus. Another touchdown pass from Hurts to Smith—from five yards out—coupled with a 52-yard field goal by Elliott just before halftime, gave the Eagles a 20–10 lead. The Broncos took the opening possession of the second half, and reached the Eagles' 4-yard line. However, the Broncos squandered another red zone opportunity, as McManus' 21-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Eagles' safety K'Von Wallace. After forcing the Eagles to go three-and-out, the Broncos reached the red zone yet again; however, running back Javonte Williams had a 20-yard touchdown run nullified by a holding penalty on tight end Eric Saubert. The Broncos were once again forced to settle for another short field goal by McManus—from 28 yards out. After an interception of Hurts by safety Justin Simmons, the Broncos were attempting to tie the game, and reached the Eagles' 23-yard line; however, Gordon lost a fumble, and Eagles' safety Darius Slay recovered the football and ran for an 83-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter to give the Eagles a 27–13 lead. Elliott later added a 23-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The Broncos' offense went 1-for-11 on third down, scored only one touchdown out of five red zone opportunities, and defensively, surrendered 214 rushing yards to Eagles' running backs.^[159]

A pair of rushing touchdowns—an 11-yarder by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 9-yarder by running back Javonte Williams—gave the Broncos a 14–0 lead over the Chargers. After Bridgewater briefly exited with a lower leg injury late in the first quarter, backup quarterback Drew Lock took over, and completed four passes in seven attempts for only 26 yards, before throwing an interception near midfield with 1:22 remaining in the first half. The Chargers capitalized and got on the scoreboard just before halftime, with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Herbert to running back Austin Ekeler. The Chargers took the opening possession of the second half, and reached the Broncos' 34-yard line; however, placekicker Dustin Hopkins missed wide left on a 52-yard field goal attempt. After a Broncos' punt, the Chargers once again drove deep into Broncos' territory at the end of a scoreless third quarter, and the Broncos holding on to a 14–7 lead. On the second play of the fourth quarter, with the Chargers facing a 3rd-and-14 from the 23-yard line, Broncos' cornerback Patrick Surtain II made the first of two key interceptions—picking off a pass from Herbert intended for tight end Jared Cook in the end zone for a touchback. The Broncos added to their lead, with Bridgewater's return to the game, and a 10-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Saubert. On the Chargers' ensuing possession, Surtain intercepted a pass from Herbert that went through the hands of Ekeler, and scampered down the left sideline for a 70-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers managed only one more scoring play—a 16-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to Cook (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt) on the ensuing possession, but got no closer.^[160]

The Broncos' defense limited the Chiefs to 267 total yards of offense and quarterback Patrick Mahomes to 184 yards passing, but their defensive effort was wasted by missed opportunities by their offense and nullified by three costly second half turnovers. The Broncos gained only two net yards in their first two offensive possessions and fell behind 10–0 after a 10-yard touchdown run by Mahomes and a 56-yard field goal by Chiefs' placekicker Harrison Butker. The Broncos got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, with a 42-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus. After forcing a Chiefs' punt, the Broncos went on a 10-play, 16-yard drive that devoured 10 minutes, but instead of kicking a field goal, the Broncos came up empty at the Chiefs' 8-yard line, after running back Javonte Williams was stopped for a 1-yard loss on 4th-and-2. On the opening possession of the second half, the Broncos were unable to capitalize on an interception of Mahomes by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, and were forced to punt after a three-and-out. A 45-yard field goal by Butker increased the Chiefs' lead to 13–3 at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. The Broncos blew yet another opportunity, when quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was intercepted by safety Juan Thornhill at the Chiefs' 45-yard line. Eight plays later, Butker's third field goal of the game—from 26 yards out—increased the Chiefs' lead to 16–3 early in the third quarter. The Broncos reached the Chiefs' 27-yard line on their next possession; however, Bridgewater's pass was deflected and intercepted by Chiefs' safety Daniel Sorensen for a 75-yard touchdown (with a missed extra-point attempt). The Broncos' finally reached the end zone, with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Williams; however the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, keeping the score at 22–9 with 5:19 remaining in the game. The Broncos forced a Chiefs' punt, and in the process, burned two of their team timeouts, hoping for a rally with 2:43 remaining in the game. However, they turned the football over on downs near midfield.^[161]

Running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams accounted for four of the Broncos' five touchdowns—two rushing by Gordon and one rushing and one receiving by Williams—in a 38–10 rout of the Lions. The Broncos dedicated the win to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who died of a medical issue in his Georgia home during the previous week at the age of 33. Thomas, who played wide receiver for the Broncos from 2010 to 2018, ranks third in franchise history in receptions (behind Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith), second in receiving yards, touchdowns and single-season receptions (all behind Rod Smith), tied with Anthony Miller for the most touchdowns in a single season, and holds the franchise records for 100-yard receiving games and receiving yardage for both a single-game and a single-season.^[162] The Broncos also wore a No. 88 decal on their helmets and had a memorial at the Ring of Fame Plaza in honor of Thomas.^[163]

Through the midway point of the third quarter, all of the scoring came by way of the placekickers—53-, 54- and 28-yard field goals by the Bengals' Evan McPherson, and a 54-yard field goal by the Broncos' Brandon McManus. With only 14 seconds before halftime, McManus missed wide-right on a 51-yard attempt, giving the Bengals good field field position. A 40-yard pass completion from Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow to wide receiver Tyler Boyd set up the 58-yard field goal by McPherson. On the Broncos' second possession of the third quarter, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a head injury while diving for a first down, and was taken to a Denver-area hospital. Backup quarterback Drew Lock took over for the remainder of the game. Lock connected with wide receiver Tim Patrick on a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave the Broncos a 10–9 lead late in third quarter. However, the Bengals responded two plays later on their next drive, with a 56-yarder touchdown pass from Burrow to Boyd. The Bengals' two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 15–10. The Broncos reached the Bengals' 9-yard line on their next drive; however, Lock was strip-sacked by Bengals' defensive end Khalid Kareem, who advance the football to the Broncos' 42-yard line, before Broncos' offensive tackle Garett Bolles forced a fumble and recovered the football. The Broncos thought they had a new set of downs; however, a booth review revealed that Kareem was ruled down by contact at the 15-yard line after being tackled by Lock. Following an exchange of punts and the exhaustion of all of their team timeouts, the Broncos had one last possession deep in their own territory with only 1:04 remaining in the game, but lost 14 net yards, ending the game.^[164]

After a scoreless first quarter, the Raiders took the lead early in the second quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Derek Carr to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. The Broncos then scored 13 unanswered points leading up to halftime. First, placekicker Brandon McManus got the Broncos on the scoreboard with a 49-yard field goal. Then, after forcing a fumble off Raiders' running back Josh Jacobs, McManus followed up his first field goal with a 55-yarder. With only 26 seconds before halftime, Broncos' linebacker Bradley Chubb perfectly read a screen pass attempt by Carr and nearly returned an interception for a touchdown, as he was stopped at the Raiders' 1-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Javonte Williams gave the Broncos a 13–7 lead at halftime. However, the Broncos were held scoreless in the second half, and the Raiders reclaimed the lead on the initial possession of the second half, with a 5-yard touchdown run by Jacobs. The Broncos' defense forced a fumble off of Carr on the Raiders' next possession; however, McManus missed wife left on a 55-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Raiders added to their lead midway through the fourth quarter, with a 41-yard field goal by placekicker Daniel Carlson. On the Broncos' ensuing possession, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam dropped a critical pass from quarterback Drew Lock in Raiders' territory, on a 2nd-and-10. On the next play, Lock, who was playing in place of regular starter Teddy Bridgewater due to concussion protocols, was sacked for a 6-yard loss. With four minutes left in the game, the Broncos decided to punt; however, their offense never got the football back. After using all of their team timeouts, their defense was unable to stop the Raiders on a critical 3rd-and-2, in which Carr completed a 28-yard pass to tight end Foster Moreau for a game-clinching first down just before the two-minute warning. The Broncos' defense surrendered 160 rushing yards, and their 12 yards of rushing offense was tied for their third-fewest in franchise history.^[165]

The Broncos' offensive struggles continued and they never recovered from a 17–0 deficit, in a 34–13 loss to the Chargers. The Broncos trailed 20–3 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with hopes that a 1–yard touchdown run by running back Melvin Gordon would narrow the deficit. However, it was nullified by an illegal formation penalty, and the Broncos were forced to settle on a short 26-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus, who kicked a 61-yarder just before halftime. Chargers' return specialist Andre Roberts returned the ensuing kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, and the game was put out of reach, with Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert's second touchdown pass of the game—a 45-yarder to wide receiver Mike Williams. The Broncos' only touchdown of the game occurred at the 6:35 mark of the fourth quarter, in which quarterback Drew Lock connected on a 5-yard pass to tight end Noah Fant, by which time the game had already been decided in the Chargers' favor. With the loss, the Broncos were officially eliminated from postseason contention. The Chargers win also mathematically eliminated the Miami Dolphins, who lost to the Tennessee Titans earlier that day, and the Cleveland Browns, who were scheduled to kick off Sunday Night Football later that evening on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Broncos hosted the Chiefs in the 2021 regular season finale. The Chiefs took the early lead, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes connecting with tight end Travis Kelce on a 3-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos responded with two rushing touchdowns by quarterback Drew Lock—a 5-yard run late in the first quarter, followed by a 23-yard run midway through the second quarter. A 34-yard field goal by Chiefs' placekicker Harrison Butker narrowed the Broncos' lead to 14–10 just before the two-minute warning. The Chiefs took the lead on the initial possession of the second half, with Mahomes' second touchdown pass of the game—a 14-yarder to running back Jerick McKinnon. The Broncos responded, with a 47-yard touchdown run by running back Melvin Gordon. Butker's second field goal of the game—a 51-yarder at the beginning of the fourth quarter, narrowed the Broncos' lead to 21–20. The Broncos were attempting to add to their lead, and marched deep into Chiefs' territory, when Chiefs' linebacker Melvin Ingram penetrated into the Broncos' backfield untouched, and forced a fumble off of Gordon. Linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up the football, and returned the fumble 86 yards for a game-changing touchdown (coupled with Mahomes rushing for a successful two-point conversion). This gave the Chiefs a 28–21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos reached the Chiefs' 13-yard line in eight plays on their next possession, and faced a 4th-and-9. However, instead of a potential game-tying touchdown, the Broncos settled for a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus with 4:41 remaining in the game. The Broncos' defense was unable to prevent the Chiefs from running out the clock, sealing their 13th consecutive loss to the Chiefs, dating back to 2015.^[166]

AFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) Kansas City Chiefs	12	5	0	.706	5–1	7–5	480	364	W1
(5) Las Vegas Raiders	10	7	0	.588	3–3	8–4	374	439	W4
Los Angeles Chargers	9	8	0	.529	3–3	6–6	474	459	L1
Denver Broncos	7	10	0	.412	1–5	3–9	335	322	L4

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division winners
1[a]	Tennessee Titans	South	12	5	0	.706	5–1	8–4	.472	.480	W3
2[a]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	12	5	0	.706	5–1	7–5	.538	.517	W1
3	Buffalo Bills	East	11	6	0	.647	5–1	7–5	.472	.428	W4
4	Cincinnati Bengals	North	10	7	0	.588	4–2	8–4	.472	.462	L1
Wild cards
5[b]	Las Vegas Raiders	West	10	7	0	.588	3–3	8–4	.510	.515	W4
6[b]	New England Patriots	East	10	7	0	.588	3–3	8–4	.481	.394	L1
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	9	7	1	.559	4–2	7–5	.521	.490	W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[c]	Indianapolis Colts	South	9	8	0	.529	3–3	7–5	.495	.431	L2
9[c][d]	Miami Dolphins	East	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	.464	.379	W1
10[c][d]	Los Angeles Chargers	West	9	8	0	.529	3–3	6–6	.510	.500	L1
11[e]	Cleveland Browns	North	8	9	0	.471	3–3	5–7	.514	.415	W1
12[e]	Baltimore Ravens	North	8	9	0	.471	1–5	5–7	.531	.460	L6
13	Denver Broncos	West	7	10	0	.412	1–5	3–9	.484	.357	L4
14[f]	New York Jets	East	4	13	0	.235	0–6	4–8	.512	.426	L2
15[f]	Houston Texans	South	4	13	0	.235	3–3	4–8	.498	.397	L2
16	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	3	14	0	.176	1–5	3–9	.512	.569	W1
Tiebreakers[g]
^ a b Tennessee finished ahead of Kansas City based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b Las Vegas finished ahead of New England based on win percentage in common games (5–1 vs. 2–4 against: Miami, Dallas, LA Chargers, Cleveland, and Indianapolis). ^ a b c Indianapolis finished ahead of Miami and Los Angeles based on conference record (7–5 vs. 6–6). ^ a b Miami finished ahead of LA Chargers based on win percentage in common games (5–1 vs. 2–4 against: New England, Las Vegas, Houston, Baltimore, and NY Giants). ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Baltimore based on division record (3–3 vs. 1–5). ^ a b NY Jets finished ahead of Houston based on head-to-head victory. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Teddy Bridgewater	3,052
Passing touchdowns	Teddy Bridgewater	18
Rushing yards	Melvin Gordon	918
Rushing touchdowns	Melvin Gordon	8
Receptions	Noah Fant	68
Receiving yards	Courtland Sutton	776
Receiving touchdowns	Tim Patrick	5
Points	Brandon McManus	111
Kickoff return yards	Diontae Spencer	291
Punt return yards	Diontae Spencer	206
Tackles	Kareem Jackson	88
Sacks	Shelby Harris	6
Forced fumbles	Malik Reed	2
Interceptions	Justin Simmons	5

Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.^[167]

Offense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 330.5 YPG 19th Yards per play 5.4 T–18th Rushing yards 119.1 YPG 13th Yards per rush 4.5 T–7th Passing yards 211.4 YPG 19th Yards per pass 7.1 15th Pass completions 354/541 (.654) 18th Total touchdowns 37 T–21st Rushing touchdowns 16 T–14th Receiving touchdowns 20 T–25th Scoring 19.7 PPG T–23rd Red Zone Touchdowns 29/53 (.547) 22nd Third down efficiency 82/213 (.385) 21st Fourth down efficiency 16/28 (.571) 13th First downs per game 19.5 T–20th Fewest sacks allowed 40 T–19th Fewest giveaways 18 T–6th Fewest penalties 83 6th Least penalty yardage 711 6th

Defense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 326.1 YPG 8th Yards per play 5.3 T–11th Rushing yards 111.3 YPG 15th Yards per rush 4.3 T–13th Passing yards 214.8 YPG 8th Yards per pass 6.9 T–9th Pass completions 341/562 (.607) 4th Total touchdowns 36 4th Rushing touchdowns 9 T–1st Receiving touchdowns 22 5th Scoring 18.9 PPG 3rd Red Zone Touchdowns 21/43 (.488) 3rd Third down efficiency 101/225 (.449) 28th Fourth down efficiency 11/26 (.423) 4th First downs per game 18.4 5th Sacks 36 T–18th Takeaways 19 T–21st Fewest penalties 104 T–21st Least penalty yardage 922 24th

Special teams Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Gross punting 46.0 YPP 15th Kickoffs 63.8 YPK 7th Punt returns 8.2 YPR T–18th Kick returns 16.2 YPR 32nd Punt coverage 6.4 YPR 3rd Kick coverage 39.4 YPR 32nd

Source for this section: Pro-Football Reference.^[168]

Recipient	Award(s)
Brandon McManus	Week 14: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week[169]
Von Miller	September: AFC Defensive Player of the Month[170]
Patrick Surtain II	Week 12: AFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFL Rookie of the Week[171][172]
Javonte Williams	Week 9: NFL Rookie of the Week[173]

On January 14, 2022, safety Justin Simmons was voted to the 2021 All-Pro Team, and named to the Second Team. In addition, offensive tackle Garett Bolles and cornerback Patrick Surtain II were both named first alternates for the Pro Bowl.^[174]