2023 Denver Broncos season
The 2023 season was the Denver Broncos' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 64th overall. It was also their third under the leadership of general manager George Paton, their second under the ownership of the Walton-Penner family group and their first under head coach Sean Payton.
| 2023 Denver Broncos season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Rob Walton |
| General manager | George Paton |
| Head coach | Sean Payton |
| Home field | Empower Field at Mile High |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–9 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | CB Patrick Surtain II SS Justin Simmons KR Marvin Mims |
| AP All-Pros | S Justin Simmons (2nd team) RS Marvin Mims (2nd Team) |
| Uniform | |
During the off-season, the Broncos released longtime kicker Brandon McManus after spending nine seasons with the team. He was the last player from the 2015 Super Bowl 50-winning team still on the roster. His release made safety Justin Simmons, who has been with the team since 2016, the team's new longest-tenured player. After a 1–5 start, the team's first since 1994, the Broncos started to surge, winning five straight for the first time since 2015 to improve upon their 5–12 record from the previous season. However, the Broncos won just two of their final six games, suffering their seventh consecutive losing season and missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season. After his worst statistical season in 2022, quarterback Russell Wilson improved his performance, but was benched for the team's final two games in favor of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham and was subsequently released the following offseason and joined the Steelers on a 5 year deal.
One of the Broncos' highlights of the season was their Week 8 win of 24–9 over division rival, defending Super Bowl champion and eventual-repeat champion Kansas City Chiefs. This win snapped a 16-game losing streak by the Broncos against the Chiefs, and their first win against quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Meanwhile, one of the team’s lowlights was a 20-70 loss in Week 3 to the Miami Dolphins.