ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In Head Coach Sean Payton's first season in Denver, the Broncos are slated to play four prime-time games and will face a potentially pivotal three-game road trip late in the season.
The Broncos' 2023 schedule, which the NFL announced Thursday, will also feature matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders to open and close the season.
Denver will host Las Vegas in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 2:25 p.m. MT on CBS and then visit the Raiders in Week 18 on either Saturday, Jan. 6 or Sunday, Jan. 7. The time and date of all Week 18 matchups will be announced following Week 17. A pair of games will be held on Saturday, while the remainder will be played on Sunday.
The Broncos will open at home for the first time since 2020 and just the second time in the last five seasons. Denver has won seven of its last eight Week 1 matchups at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Broncos' first prime-time game comes in Week 6, when Denver will travel to Kansas City for a "Thursday Night Football" meeting (Oct. 12, 7:15 p.m. CT, Prime Video) with the defending Super Bowl champions. Denver will look to snap a 15-game skid against Kansas City during that meeting, which will be the Broncos' second division game of the season.
Denver will also travel to Buffalo for a Week 10 "Monday Night Football" matchup (Nov. 13, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) and then host the Vikings in Week 11 on "Sunday Night Football" (Nov. 19, 6:20 p.m. MT, NBC). The Broncos' final scheduled prime-time game will come in Week 16, when they host the Patriots on Christmas Eve at 6:15 p.m. MT on NFL Network.
The Week 16 matchup with the Patriots will be the Broncos' first home game since Nov. 26, as Denver will embark on a three-game road trip from Weeks 13-15. The Broncos will travel to Houston in Week 13 (Dec. 3, 3:05 p.m. CT, CBS), visit the Chargers in Week 14 (Dec. 10, 1:25 PT, CBS) and play at Detroit in Week 15 (Dec. 16 or 17; time and network TBD). Denver has not played three consecutive games on the road since 2017.
The Broncos' matchups with two of their three division foes will come in rapid succession. Two weeks after visiting the Chiefs in Week 6, Denver will host Kansas City in Week 8 on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 2:25 p.m. MT on CBS. Similarly, the Broncos will visit the Chargers in Week 14 as part of their three-game road trip and then host the Chargers 21 days later on New Year's Eve. The Week 17 matchup with Los Angeles is slated for 2:25 p.m. MT on CBS.
The latter matchup with the Chargers highlights a stretch for the Broncos that will see the team host two of its final three matchups of the season. Denver will also play its first two games of the season at home, as the Washington Commanders will travel to face the Broncos in Week 2 (Sept. 17, 2:25 p.m. MT, CBS). The Broncos also face an early season stretch in which they'll play three of four games between Weeks 5-8 at home. Denver will host the Jets — featuring quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett — in Week 5 on Oct. 8 at 2:25 p.m. MT on CBS. In addition to the games against the Chiefs in Weeks 6 and 8, Denver will welcome the Packers to Denver in Week 7 (Oct. 22, 2:25 p.m. MT, CBS).
The Broncos' matchup with former head coach Vic Fangio and former first-round pick Bradley Chubb is slated for Week 3, as Denver will face the Dolphins on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
Denver's remaining games on the slate are a Week 4 matchup in Chicago (Oct. 1, 12 p.m. CT, CBS) and a Week 12 meeting with the Browns (Nov. 26, 2:05 p.m. MT, FOX) at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Broncos' bye week is set for Week 9, which is the same bye week they held in 2022.
One of the trickiest stretches of the season, Denver will play the Chiefs, Bills and Vikings — all 2022 playoff teams — in succession from Weeks 8-11. The Broncos will play seven total games in 2023 against last year's playoff teams, but none of the other matchups are in consecutive weeks.
Denver's opponents for the preseason are also finalized, as the Broncos will play at Arizona (Aug. 10-12) and at San Francisco (Aug. 17-19) to open the preseason slate. The Broncos will then host the Rams on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. MT. The specific dates and times for the preseason matchups with the Cardinals and 49ers will be announced at a later date. All preseason games will be broadcast on 9NEWS.
The Broncos' complete 2023 schedule can be seen below and by clicking here.
