The Denver Broncos are one of the most storied teams in the history of the NFL, and one of the most successful. To date, the Broncos have participated in the Super Bowl eight times. There are several other teams with eight appearances, but only the New England Patriots (11) have been there more.
The Broncos have won the Lombardi Trophy three times, fielding some of the best teams in NFL history. With the 2025 NFL season just under two months away from kickoff, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports decided to rank the best teams in the Super Bowl era. On his list are teams that lost the Super Bowl as well as teams that didn't even make it that far.
DeArdo put forth what he feels are the 30 best teams in league history and though the Broncos appear on that list just once, fans will be happy with its placement.
The 1998 Broncos, the team that started 13-0 and dominated the league en route to a second-straight Super Bowl win, come in at No. 7 on the list. Interestingly, the team that won the Super Bowl just one year prior, the first in Broncos history, did not even make the list.
- 17-2 record
- Featured HOF QB John Elway and HOF RB/NFL MVP Terrell Davis
- Outscored their three playoff opponents 95-32
"Denver successfully defended its Super Bowl XXXII championship by running away from the field in 1998. The Broncos won their first 13 games before coasting to a 14-2 finish. Davis (who rushed for 2,008 yards that season) was the centerpiece of an offense that also featured Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, and two 1,000-yard receivers in Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey. The Broncos' high-scoring offense was complemented by an aggressive defense that allowed just two touchdowns during the postseason.
The Broncos forced four turnovers in their 34-19 win over the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, as Elway's 336 yards and two touchdowns gave him MVP honors in his final game. The '98 Broncos would have been higher had they been given the chance to defeat the Vikings (who had gone 15-1 during the season before being upset by Atlanta in the NFC title game) in the Super Bowl", wrote DeArdo.
That '98 Vikings team, which was on a collision course with the Broncos before being upset in the NFC Championship Game that year, comes in at No. 28 on the list. That potential matchup that never happened remains one of the biggest "what-ifs" in NFL history.
The Broncos had seven other teams that went to the Super Bowl, as well as several great teams that didn't. To have only one team make this list is a bit disappointing, but the fact that only six teams in the history of the league are considered better than that '98 Broncos squad is quite the victory for the organization and the fanbase.
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