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2021 Denver Broncos Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info
May 12, 2021
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton was faced with a major task atop the to-do list in his first offseason: figure out who will be the team's quarterback in 2021.
Free agency saw some additions and returns on defense, notably the team's decision to pick up the option of Von Miller, and the offense was hit by the departure of Phillip Lindsay. Then the NFL draft rolled around, with the team deciding to pass on a quarterback in the selection period after securing Teddy Bridgewater—who was edged out of a job by the arrival of Sam Darnold—in a trade from Carolina.
Doing so didn't necessarily put Drew Lock in for a second go as the team's starting signal-caller, as head coach Vic Fangio said the players will split time 50-50 in the preseason.
That could all be complicated, as the team is reportedly a real possibility to land a disgruntled Aaron Rodgers if the Green Bay Packers decide to trade him.
Regardless of who is under center, the Broncos look to contend in a tough AFC West that includes the defending conference champions and two new-look offensive lines.
Here's a look at what the Broncos will be facing in 2021.
2021 Schedule
Analysis
Lock made a case for himself in the second half of 2021, when he halved his interception total from his first seven starts and threw two more touchdowns in his last six games than he did in his first seven, per Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.
Bridgewater is also a viable option, as he will head to Denver fresh off of a 3,733-yard, 15-touchdown campaign.
With the quarterback situation seemingly sorted, the Broncos added to their defense, with free-agent cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby joining a group that includes the returning Miller, Shelby Harris and Justin Simmons.
The additions should provide a decent upgrade for a unit that ranked in the middle of the league in total yards allowed per game.
The Broncos should also benefit from the league's new 17-game slate, as the AFC will host the additional 17th game in the coming season.
One interesting note about the Broncos' home games is that most of the opponents have a different quarterback situation heading into 2021.
The Baltimore Ravens are set with Lamar Jackson, and the Cincinnati Bengals will return Joe Burrow, who should be fully recovered from his injury by the time they meet in Week 15. But the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions all have a different signal-caller, which could be an advantage for the Broncos.
Key Matchups
The Broncos could hardly do worse than they did in 2020, when they finished at the bottom of the AFC West at 5-11.
Both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers made major changes to their offensive line, with the Raiders moving on from Trent Brown and Gabe Jackson and the Chargers adding Matt Feiler, among other changes.
The Chargers also had a significant offensive loss when tight end Hunter Henry joined the New England Patriots, while the Raiders added Kenyan Drake and a pair of wide receivers in John Brown and Willie Snead IV.
Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs moved on from veteran offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz and cut running back Damien Williams.
Suffice to say these divisional matchups have the potential to be interesting.
Denver will play the two worst teams from the 2020 campaign in the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, though both should look significantly different after the NFL draft.
The Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick, while the Jets decided to move on from Sam Darnold in favor of BYU's Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall.