Along the path to the Broncos’ first playoff berth in nearly a decade, a reality equal parts obvious and daunting came starkly into focus.
Ascending to true contender status in the AFC means tangling with a handful of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
Returning to the Super Bowl means, most likely, going through at least a couple of them in any given postseason.
Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert reside in the division and will for years to come. The Broncos in 2024 also saw Lamar Jackson’s greatness on full display in Baltimore, Joe Burrow’s best in Cincinnati and Josh Allen’s mastery in Buffalo during the Wild Card round.