2021 Denver Broncos season
Owner	The Bowlen family (viaPat Bowlen’s estate)
General manager	George Paton
Head coach	Vic Fangio
Home stadium	Empower Field at Mile High
Results
Record	7–10
Division place	4thAFC West
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	SJustin Simmons(2nd team)
Uniform
← 2020 Broncos seasons 2022 →

The2021 season was theDenver Broncos' 52nd season in theNational Football League (NFL) and the 62nd overall. It was also the final season under the ownership ofPat Bowlen's estate who owned the team since the1984 season.

2021 marked the first season since2011 in whichJohn Elway did not serve as general manager, as he relinquished those duties shortly after the end of the2020 season. Elway remained part of the Broncos' personnel, as the president of football operations, and led the hiring of new general managerGeorge Paton.

The Broncos started 3–0, albeit against teams who would combine for a 11–40 record (New York Giants,Jacksonville Jaguars andNew York Jets), but after that, the Broncos' performance was memorably bad, going 4–10 the rest of the way, including losing their last four games. The Broncos' slightly improved on their 5–11 record from 2020, but missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season and suffered their fifth consecutive losing season (both the second-longest streaks in franchise history) following a loss to theLos Angeles Chargers in Week 17.^[1][2]LinebackerVon Miller, the Broncos' franchise record-holder for the most careersacks, was traded to theLos Angeles Rams at mid-season.^[3]

Statistically, the Broncos' ranked third in scoring defense, and their defense also ranked within the top 10 in total yards and passing yards. However, their offense ranked in the bottom 10 in points scored, scoring 30+ points only twice and failing to reach 20 points in 9 of their 17 games, resulting in the firing ofhead coachVic Fangio after three seasons.^[4]

• February 4: Chris Cook was hired as an offensive quality control coach.^[5]
• February 8:Christian Parker was hired as a defensive backs coach. He spent the previous two seasons with theGreen Bay Packers as a defensive quality control coach.^[6] Parker replacesRenaldo Hill, who departed on January 25 to become theLos Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator.^[7]

• January 3: During halftime of the Broncos'2020 regular season finale, director of player personnelMatt Russell announced his retirement, after eight seasons in that role.^[8]
• January 4:John Elway announced that he will remain president of football operations, but will relinquish his general manager duties, and led the hiring of a new general manager.^[9]
• January 13:George Paton was hired as the new Broncos' general manager. Paton spent the previous 14 seasons in theMinnesota Vikings' front office, including the previous nine seasons as the Vikings' assistant general manager and the last three as vice president of player personnel.^[10]
• May 21:Darren Mougey was promoted to be Paton's right-hand man, director of player personnel.^[11]

All players listed below were signed to reserve/future contracts on January 4, unless noted otherwise. The signings include all ten players who were on the practice squad of thefinal roster at the end of the 2020 season. Each player was officially added to the active roster on March 17—the first day of the2021 league year.^[12]

Note: Unrestricted free agents who were originally Restricted free agents (RFA) had three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season, and did not receive a qualifying offer before the start of the2021 league year on March 17.

Allundrafted free agents were signed on May 2—one day after the2021 NFL draft concluded,^[102] unless noted otherwise.

On November 1,linebackerVon Miller was traded to theLos Angeles Rams in exchange for the Rams' second- and third-round selections in the2022 NFL draft. Miller left the team as the franchise record-holder for the most careersacks in Denver Broncos' history. He was selected to thePro Bowl eight times and received the first-teamAll-Pro honor three times. He also receivedMVP honors inSuper Bowl 50, when the Broncos defeated theCarolina Panthers in2015.^[3]

EachNFL team is permitted to elevate up to two players from the practice squad to the active game day roster per week, with those designated players being allowed to return to the practice squad up to two times without being exposed to waivers. If a practice squad player is elevated to the game day roster for a third time, that player will be required to clear waivers before returning to the practice squad. Teams are also permitted to protect a maximum of four practice squad players to prevent opposing teams from signing those players to their active rosters.^[127]

Note: Damarea Crockett and Curtis Robinson were elevated in Week 10 asCOVID-19 replacements.^[111]

• July 26:SafetyJamar Johnson andcornerbackKary Vincent Jr., the team's fifth- and seventh-rounddraft selections, respectively, were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[133] Vincent was activated on July 31,^[134] while Johnson was activated on August 6.^[59]
• October 26:GuardNetane Muti was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 9 with a roster exemption.^[21][75]
• November 2:Tight endNoah Fant was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 10.^[135]
• November 8: BackupquarterbackDrew Lock was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 20.^[119][136]
• November 9:CornerbackMichael Ojemudia, who was oninjured reserve at the time, as well aslinebackerJustin Strnad, were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. They were both activated on November 20.^[75][136]
• November 12: GuardAustin Schlottmann was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on November 24.^[137][138]
• Offensive coordinatorPat Shurmur missed the Broncos' Week 10 loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles due to a positive COVID-19 test.^[139]
• November 22:Offensive tackleGarett Bolles was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated on December 2.^[140][110]
• December 10:Running backMike Boone and safetyP. J. Locke were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Lock was activated on December 18,^[83] while Boone was activated on December 21.^[24]
• December 11: LinebackerMalik Reed was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[115] He was activated on December 22.^[141]
• December 23:CenterLloyd Cushenberry was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[25] He was activated on December 29^[142]
• December 27–30: In the week leading up to the Broncos' Week 16 game at theLos Angeles Chargers, numerous players were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list: defensive endMcTelvin Agim, cornerbacksBryce Callahan andMike Ford, linebackersBaron BrowningBradley Chubb,Jonathon Cooper,Andre Mintze andStephen Weatherly,nose tackleMike Purcell, offensive tacklesCalvin Anderson andBobby Massie, wide receiversJerry Jeudy andTim Patrick, and safetyCaden Sterns.^{[143][142][144][145]} Mintze was later activated on January 1,^[132] while the rest were activated on January 5.^[113]
• January 3:PlacekickerBrandon McManus andpunterSam Martin were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.^[31] Both were activated four days later (January 7).^[15]

The Broncos' preseason schedule was announced on May 12.^[146]

The Broncos'2021 schedule was announced on May 12. Until the Week 18 flex, the Broncos would not have appeared onMonday Night Football for the first time since1991.^[146]

Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text.

After a scoreless first quarter, a 23-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus gave the Broncos the early lead. The drive was extended afterTeddy Bridgewater, the Broncos' fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback in as many seasons, completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiverTim Patrick on a 4th-and-7 at the Giants' 37-yard line. The Giants took a 7–3 lead on their first possession of the second quarter, with a 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackDaniel Jones to wide receiverSterling Shepard. It was the only time in the game that the Broncos would trail. After tight endAlbert Okwuegbunam lost a fumble deep in Giants' territory, the Broncos took the lead for good with 24 unanswered points. Just before halftime, Bridgewater connected with Patrick on a 2-yard touchdown pass, three plays after another fourth down gamble near midfield. On the initial possession of the second half, Okwuegbunam atoned for his earlier fumble, with a 4-yard touchdown reception from Bridgewater on a 4th-and-1. The drive was extended after a fumble by wide receiverJerry Jeudy at the Giants' 13-yard line was overturned by a booth review. The Giants advanced deep into Broncos' territory on their next possession; however, Broncos' linebackerJosey Jewell forced a fumble off Jones at the 15-yard line. The Broncos took advantage of the turnover, and increased their lead to 20–7 early in the fourth quarter, with a 36-yard field goal by McManus. The Giants reached the Broncos' 6-yard line with 6:30 remaining in the game, hoping for a rally, but the Broncos' defense forced a turnover on downs. Four plays later, the Broncos put the game out of reach, with a 70-yard touchdown run by running backMelvin Gordon.^[147]

After surrendering a 25-yard touchdown pass fromJaguars' quarterbackTrevor Lawrence to wide receiverMarvin Jones on the game's opening drive, the Broncos reeled off 23 unanswered points. After getting on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus, quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater threw a pair of touchdown passes—a 12-yarder to wide receiverTim Patrick in the second quarter, followed in the third quarter by a 14-yarder to tight endNoah Fant. Jaguars' placekickerJosh Lambo missed on two field goal attempts in the second quarter, while McManus added two more field goals—a 46-yarder late in the third quarter, followed by a 50-yarder with 5:42 remaining in the game. After the latter field goal, Jaguars' return specialistJamal Agnew returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Jaguars to within a 23–13 deficit. However, the Broncos' defense denied the two-point conversion attempt that would have pulled the Jaguars to within a one-score deficit. The Broncos then proceeded to run out the clock.^[148]

The Broncos' defense sackedJets' rookie quarterbackZach Wilson five times and forced two interceptions, in a dominating 26–0 win. Offensively, running backsJavonte Williams andMelvin Gordon each rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, and placekickerBrandon McManus added four field goals. It was the Broncos' second consecutive shutout of the Jets in Denver, following a23–0 win in 2017. The Broncos started 3–0 for the first time since2016.^[149]

The Broncos' offense struggled and the defense surrendered 405 yards, in a 23–7 loss to theRavens. After a scoreless first quarter, the Broncos took a 7–0 lead early in the second quarter, with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater to tight endNoah Fant. However, the Broncos' offense sputtered for the remainder of the game, and Bridgewater entered concussion protocol just before halftime. Backup quarterbackDrew Lock took over in the second half, and was sacked five times. The Broncos went 3-for-14 on third down, failed to cross midfield until their last possession, when Lock was intercepted in the end zone with only ten seconds remaining in the game, and the Broncos trailing 23–7. Defensively, the Broncos' yielded two touchdowns in the second quarter—an 11-yard run by Ravens' running backLatavius Murray and a 49-yard pass from quarterbackLamar Jackson to wide receiverMarquise Brown. PlacekickerJustin Tucker added three field goals—a 40-yarder at the end of the first half, followed by a 46- and 20-yarder in the fourth quarter.^[150]

A slow offensive start and three critical penalties proved costly for the Broncos, in a 27–19 loss to theSteelers. The Broncos trailed 10–3 after the defense surrendered a 50-yard touchdown pass from Steelers' quarterbackBen Roethlisberger to wide receiverDiontae Johnson on the game's opening drive, followed by a 48-yard field goal by placekickerChris Boswell. In between, a 39-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus got the Broncos on the scoreboard late in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, the Broncos reached the Steelers' 2-yard line after running backJavonte Williams was stopped just short of the goal line following a 49-yard run. However, Williams was flagged for a 5-yard delay of game penalty after spiking the football in anger. The Broncos lost 10 more yards after quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater was sacked, forcing the Broncos to settle for a 29-yard field goal by McManus. On the Steelers' ensuing possession, Broncos' cornerbackKyle Fuller was flagged for a defensive pass interference penalty on a 3rd-and-15 from the 18-yard line. Instead of forcing a field goal attempt, the Steelers capitalized and increased their lead to 17–6 just before the two-minute warning, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running backNajee Harris.^[151][152]

The Broncos' offense stalled near midfield on the opening possession of the second half, and the Steelers methodically marched down to the Broncos' 33-yard line, and Boswell kicked a 51-yard field goal. However, Broncos' defensive endDre'Mont Jones was flagged for a 15-yard leverage penalty on the field goal attempt, and instead of taking the three points, the Steelers elected for the first down. Three plays later, Roethlisberger connected with wide receiverChase Claypool on an 18-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 24–6 lead late in the third quarter. The Broncos' offense finally got into the end zone on their next possession, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to wide receiverKendall Hinton. After forcing a Steelers' punt, the Broncos narrowed the Steelers lead to 24–19, with wide receiverCourtland Sutton, playing on his 26th birthday, receiving a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater with 5:54 remaining in the game. However, the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful. The Steelers responded, with a 43-yard field goal by Boswell with 2:33 remaining in the game. Without any timeouts, the Broncos had one last possession, and faced a 4th-and-goal at the 3-yard line with 17 seconds remaining. However, Bridgewater was intercepted by Steelers' cornerbackJames Pierre in the end zone, ending the Broncos' rally attempt.^[151][152]

Each team reached the end zone on their initial possessions—Raiders' quarterbackDerek Carr connected on a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverHenry Ruggs, while Broncos' quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverTim Patrick. However, the Broncos' struggled on both sides of the ball, and surrendered 17 unanswered points. The defense surrendered seven completions by Carr of at least 25 yards. Following a 50-yard field goal by Raiders' placekickerDaniel Carlson, Bridgewater was intercepted by cornerbackBrandon Facyson late in the first quarter; however, Carlson hit the right upright on a 43-yard field goal attempt. Two touchdowns by running backKenyan Drake—a 31-yard pass from Carr just before halftime, followed by an 18-yard run early in the third quarter—gave the Raiders a 24–7 lead. Following a 32-yard field goal by Broncos' placekickerBrandon McManus and a subsequent Raiders' punt, Bridgewater committed a fumble, and the Raiders extended their lead to 31–10 near the end of the third quarter, with running backJosh Jacobs rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Broncos responded on their next possession, with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to wide receiverCourtland Sutton. A 30-yard field goal by Carlson increased the Raiders' lead to 34–17 at the 8-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Following an interception by Bridgewater and a Raiders' punt, the Broncos narrowed the Raiders' lead to 34–24 with only 1:17 remaining in the game, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to tight endNoah Fant. The Broncos recovered the onside kick, and used their final team timeout with 59 seconds remaining. Two plays later, Bridgewater threw his third interception to end the game.^[153]

TheBrowns took a 10–0 lead after the first quarter, courtesy of a 4-yard touchdown run by running backD'Ernest Johnson, followed by a 52-yard field goal by placekickerChase McLaughlin, who later had a 41-yard attempt blocked by Broncos' defensive endShelby Harris at the 2-minute warning. The Broncos' offense failed to advance past their own 34-yard line on four of their five first half possessions; quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater was intercepted in the end zone by Browns' safetyJohn Johnson on a pass from the Browns' 34-yard line in a scoreless second quarter. The Broncos finally got on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter, with Bridgewater connecting with running backMelvin Gordon on an 8-yard touchdown pass. However, the Browns responded on their next possession, with a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackCase Keenum to fullbackJohnny Stanton near the end of the third quarter. Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos narrowed the deficit to 17–14, with Bridgewater's second touchdown pass of the game—a 10-yarder to running backJavonte Williams with 5:23 remaining in the game. However, the Broncos' defense was unable to prevent the Browns from running out the clock, surrendering 52 rushing yards to D'Ernest Johnson on the Browns' game-clinching drive.^[154]

Notes:

With the loss, the Broncos' 6-game winning streak in Cleveland was snapped. The Browns' last home win over the Broncos was a 16–13 victory in1989.^[155]

This was also linebackerVon Miller's final game in a Broncos' uniform. Miller was inactive for the team's next game vs. theWashington Football Team on October 31, and he was traded to theLos Angeles Rams the following day (November 1).^[3]

Following a scoreless first quarter, each team exchanged field goals—a 45-yarder by Broncos' placekickerBrandon McManus and a 52-yarder byWashington placekickerChris Blewitt; the latter also had a 45-yard attempt blocked by Broncos' defensive endShelby Harris early in the second quarter. The Broncos took a 10–3 lead just before halftime, with quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater connecting with running backMelvin Gordon on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Following an exchange of punts to begin the second half, Washington tied the game, with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackTaylor Heinicke to wide receiverDeAndre Carter near the end of the third quarter. McManus missed wide right on a 53-yard attempt on the Broncos' first possession of the fourth quarter. Washington attempted to take the lead on their next possession, and reached the Broncos' 29-yard line; however, Blewitt's field goal attempt from 47 yards out was blocked again—this one by defensive endDre'mont Jones at the 9-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Eight plays later, Gordon's second touchdown of the game—a 7-yard run—gave the Broncos a 17–10 lead with 4:31 remaining in the game.^[156]

Washington marched down to the Broncos' 11-yard line with 2:37 remaining, hoping for a rally. Following two short completions and the two-minute warning, Heinicke was sacked by linebackerMalik Reed for a 13-yard loss at the 20-yard line. On 4th-and-19, Heinicke was intercepted in the end zone by safetyJustin Simmons, ending the threat. With only 37 seconds remaining in the game, the Broncos' attempted to run out the clock. However, after a 1-yard run by running backJavonte Williams, a Washington timeout and an incomplete pass by Bridgewater, Gordon lost a fumble, and Washington recovered at the Broncos' 24-yard line, with only 21 seconds remaining in the game. However, the Broncos' defense subdued Washington's last rally attempt, sacking Heinicke on second down, forcing three incomplete passes and the exhaustion of Washington's two remaining timeouts.^[156]

The Broncos dominated theCowboys on both sides of the ball and controlled the time of possession by a 2–1 margin, in a dominating and surprising 30–16 road win. QuarterbackTeddy Bridgewater threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverTim Patrick and rushed for a 1-yard sneak, and running backMelvin Gordon rushed for a 3-yard touchdown. PlacekickerBrandon McManus added three field goals—from 27, 42 and 53 yards out. In the first game of the post-Von Miller era, the Broncos' defense limited the Cowboys' No. 1 ranked offense to 290 total yards and denied the Cowboys on four 4th-down attempts. The Broncos led 30–0 with four minutes remaining in the game, and the defense surrendered two touchdown pass from Cowboys' quarterbackDak Prescott to wide receiverMalik Turner (with two successful two-point conversions), but well after the outcome had already been decided in the Broncos' favor. With the win, the Broncos extended their winning streak against the Cowboys to seven games, dating back to1998.^[157][158]

The Broncos fell behind 10–0 in the first quarter, with a 30-yard field goal byEagles' placekickerJake Elliott, followed by a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackJalen Hurts to wide receiverDeVonta Smith. The Broncos got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running backMelvin Gordon. However, after forcing an Eagles' punt, the Broncos reached the red zone, but were forced to settle on a 21-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus. Another touchdown pass from Hurts to Smith—from five yards out—coupled with a 52-yard field goal by Elliott just before halftime, gave the Eagles a 20–10 lead. The Broncos took the opening possession of the second half, and reached the Eagles' 4-yard line. However, the Broncos squandered another red zone opportunity, as McManus' 21-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Eagles' safetyK'Von Wallace. After forcing the Eagles to go three-and-out, the Broncos reached the red zone yet again; however, running backJavonte Williams had a 20-yard touchdown run nullified by a holding penalty on tight endEric Saubert. The Broncos were once again forced to settle for another short field goal by McManus—from 28 yards out. After an interception of Hurts by safetyJustin Simmons, the Broncos were attempting to tie the game, and reached the Eagles' 23-yard line; however, Gordon lost a fumble, and Eagles' safetyDarius Slay recovered the football and ran for an 83-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter to give the Eagles a 27–13 lead. Elliott later added a 23-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The Broncos' offense went 1-for-11 on third down, scored only one touchdown out of five red zone opportunities, and defensively, surrendered 214 rushing yards to Eagles' running backs.^[159]

A pair of rushing touchdowns—an 11-yarder by quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 9-yarder by running backJavonte Williams—gave the Broncos a 14–0 lead over theChargers. After Bridgewater briefly exited with a lower leg injury late in the first quarter, backup quarterbackDrew Lock took over, and completed four passes in seven attempts for only 26 yards, before throwing an interception near midfield with 1:22 remaining in the first half. The Chargers capitalized and got on the scoreboard just before halftime, with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackJustin Herbert to running backAustin Ekeler. The Chargers took the opening possession of the second half, and reached the Broncos' 34-yard line; however, placekickerDustin Hopkins missed wide left on a 52-yard field goal attempt. After a Broncos' punt, the Chargers once again drove deep into Broncos' territory at the end of a scoreless third quarter, and the Broncos holding on to a 14–7 lead. On the second play of the fourth quarter, with the Chargers facing a 3rd-and-14 from the 23-yard line, Broncos' cornerbackPatrick Surtain II made the first of two key interceptions—picking off a pass from Herbert intended for tight endJared Cook in the end zone for a touchback. The Broncos added to their lead, with Bridgewater's return to the game, and a 10-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight endEric Saubert. On the Chargers' ensuing possession, Surtain intercepted a pass from Herbert that went through the hands of Ekeler, and scampered down the left sideline for a 70-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers managed only one more scoring play—a 16-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to Cook (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt) on the ensuing possession, but got no closer.^[160]

The Broncos' defense limited theChiefs to 267 total yards of offense and quarterbackPatrick Mahomes to 184 yards passing, but their defensive effort was wasted by missed opportunities by their offense and nullified by three costly second half turnovers. The Broncos gained only two net yards in their first two offensive possessions and fell behind 10–0 after a 10-yard touchdown run by Mahomes and a 56-yard field goal by Chiefs' placekickerHarrison Butker. The Broncos got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, with a 42-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus. After forcing a Chiefs' punt, the Broncos went on a 10-play, 16-yard drive that devoured 10 minutes, but instead of kicking a field goal, the Broncos came up empty at the Chiefs' 8-yard line, after running backJavonte Williams was stopped for a 1-yard loss on 4th-and-2. On the opening possession of the second half, the Broncos were unable to capitalize on an interception of Mahomes by cornerbackPatrick Surtain II, and were forced to punt after a three-and-out. A 45-yard field goal by Butker increased the Chiefs' lead to 13–3 at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. The Broncos blew yet another opportunity, when quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater was intercepted by safetyJuan Thornhill at the Chiefs' 45-yard line. Eight plays later, Butker's third field goal of the game—from 26 yards out—increased the Chiefs' lead to 16–3 early in the third quarter. The Broncos reached the Chiefs' 27-yard line on their next possession; however, Bridgewater's pass was deflected and intercepted by Chiefs' safetyDaniel Sorensen for a 75-yard touchdown (with a missed extra-point attempt). The Broncos' finally reached the end zone, with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Williams; however the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, keeping the score at 22–9 with 5:19 remaining in the game. The Broncos forced a Chiefs' punt, and in the process, burned two of their team timeouts, hoping for a rally with 2:43 remaining in the game. However, they turned the football over on downs near midfield.^[161]

Running backsMelvin Gordon andJavonte Williams accounted for four of the Broncos' five touchdowns—two rushing by Gordon and one rushing and one receiving by Williams—in a 38–10 rout of theLions. The Broncos dedicated the win to wide receiverDemaryius Thomas, who died of a medical issue in hisGeorgia home during the previous week at the age of 33. Thomas, who played wide receiver for the Broncos from 2010 to 2018, ranks third in franchise history in receptions (behindShannon Sharpe andRod Smith), second in receiving yards, touchdowns and single-season receptions (all behind Rod Smith), tied withAnthony Miller for the most touchdowns in a single season, and holds the franchise records for 100-yard receiving games and receiving yardage for both a single-game and a single-season.^[162] The Broncos also wore a No. 88 decal on their helmets and had a memorial at the Ring of Fame Plaza in honor of Thomas.^[163]

Through the midway point of the third quarter, all of the scoring came by way of the placekickers—53-, 54- and 28-yard field goals by theBengals'Evan McPherson, and a 54-yard field goal by the Broncos'Brandon McManus. With only 14 seconds before halftime, McManus missed wide-right on a 51-yard attempt, giving the Bengals good field field position. A 40-yard pass completion from Bengals' quarterbackJoe Burrow to wide receiverTyler Boyd set up the 58-yard field goal by McPherson. On the Broncos' second possession of the third quarter, quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater suffered a head injury while diving for a first down, and was taken to aDenver-area hospital. Backup quarterbackDrew Lock took over for the remainder of the game. Lock connected with wide receiverTim Patrick on a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave the Broncos a 10–9 lead late in third quarter. However, the Bengals responded two plays later on their next drive, with a 56-yarder touchdown pass from Burrow to Boyd. The Bengals' two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 15–10. The Broncos reached the Bengals' 9-yard line on their next drive; however, Lock was strip-sacked by Bengals' defensive endKhalid Kareem, who advance the football to the Broncos' 42-yard line, before Broncos' offensive tackleGarett Bolles forced a fumble and recovered the football. The Broncos thought they had a new set of downs; however, a booth review revealed that Kareem was ruled down by contact at the 15-yard line after being tackled by Lock. Following an exchange of punts and the exhaustion of all of their team timeouts, the Broncos had one last possession deep in their own territory with only 1:04 remaining in the game, but lost 14 net yards, ending the game.^[164]

After a scoreless first quarter, theRaiders took the lead early in the second quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterbackDerek Carr to wide receiverHunter Renfrow. The Broncos then scored 13 unanswered points leading up to halftime. First, placekickerBrandon McManus got the Broncos on the scoreboard with a 49-yard field goal. Then, after forcing a fumble off Raiders' running backJosh Jacobs, McManus followed up his first field goal with a 55-yarder. With only 26 seconds before halftime, Broncos' linebackerBradley Chubb perfectly read a screen pass attempt by Carr and nearly returned an interception for a touchdown, as he was stopped at the Raiders' 1-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, a 1-yard touchdown run by running backJavonte Williams gave the Broncos a 13–7 lead at halftime. However, the Broncos were held scoreless in the second half, and the Raiders reclaimed the lead on the initial possession of the second half, with a 5-yard touchdown run by Jacobs. The Broncos' defense forced a fumble off of Carr on the Raiders' next possession; however, McManus missed wife left on a 55-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Raiders added to their lead midway through the fourth quarter, with a 41-yard field goal by placekickerDaniel Carlson. On the Broncos' ensuing possession, tight endAlbert Okwuegbunam dropped a critical pass from quarterbackDrew Lock in Raiders' territory, on a 2nd-and-10. On the next play, Lock, who was playing in place of regular starterTeddy Bridgewater due to concussion protocols, was sacked for a 6-yard loss. With four minutes left in the game, the Broncos decided to punt; however, their offense never got the football back. After using all of their team timeouts, their defense was unable to stop the Raiders on a critical 3rd-and-2, in which Carr completed a 28-yard pass to tight endFoster Moreau for a game-clinching first down just before the two-minute warning. The Broncos' defense surrendered 160 rushing yards, and their 12 yards of rushing offense was tied for their third-fewest in franchise history.^[165]

The Broncos' offensive struggles continued and they never recovered from a 17–0 deficit, in a 34–13 loss to theChargers. The Broncos trailed 20–3 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with hopes that a 1–yard touchdown run by running backMelvin Gordon would narrow the deficit. However, it was nullified by an illegal formation penalty, and the Broncos were forced to settle on a short 26-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus, who kicked a 61-yarder just before halftime. Chargers' return specialistAndre Roberts returned the ensuing kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, and the game was put out of reach, with Chargers' quarterbackJustin Herbert's second touchdown pass of the game—a 45-yarder to wide receiverMike Williams. The Broncos' only touchdown of the game occurred at the 6:35 mark of the fourth quarter, in which quarterbackDrew Lock connected on a 5-yard pass to tight endNoah Fant, by which time the game had already been decided in the Chargers' favor. With the loss, the Broncos were officially eliminated from postseason contention. The Chargers win also mathematically eliminated the Miami Dolphins, who lost to the Tennessee Titans earlier that day, and the Cleveland Browns, who were scheduled to kick off Sunday Night Football later that evening on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Broncos hosted theChiefs in the2021 regular season finale. The Chiefs took the early lead, with quarterbackPatrick Mahomes connecting with tight endTravis Kelce on a 3-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos responded with two rushing touchdowns by quarterbackDrew Lock—a 5-yard run late in the first quarter, followed by a 23-yard run midway through the second quarter. A 34-yard field goal by Chiefs' placekickerHarrison Butker narrowed the Broncos' lead to 14–10 just before the two-minute warning. The Chiefs took the lead on the initial possession of the second half, with Mahomes' second touchdown pass of the game—a 14-yarder to running backJerick McKinnon. The Broncos responded, with a 47-yard touchdown run by running backMelvin Gordon. Butker's second field goal of the game—a 51-yarder at the beginning of the fourth quarter, narrowed the Broncos' lead to 21–20. The Broncos were attempting to add to their lead, and marched deep into Chiefs' territory, when Chiefs' linebackerMelvin Ingram penetrated into the Broncos' backfield untouched, and forced a fumble off of Gordon. LinebackerNick Bolton scooped up the football, and returned the fumble 86 yards for a game-changing touchdown (coupled with Mahomes rushing for a successful two-point conversion). This gave the Chiefs a 28–21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos reached the Chiefs' 13-yard line in eight plays on their next possession, and faced a 4th-and-9. However, instead of a potential game-tying touchdown, the Broncos settled for a 31-yard field goal by placekickerBrandon McManus with 4:41 remaining in the game. The Broncos' defense was unable to prevent the Chiefs from running out the clock, sealing their 13th consecutive loss to the Chiefs, dating back to2015.^[166]

Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.^[167]

Source for this section:Pro-Football Reference.^[168]

On January 14, 2022,safetyJustin Simmons was voted to the2021All-Pro Team, and named to the Second Team. In addition,offensive tackleGarett Bolles and cornerbackPatrick Surtain II were both named first alternates for thePro Bowl.^[174]