The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a huge rematch against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season, kicking off a brutal five-game stretch that includes facing four playoff teams from last season and doing so mostly on the road.
But it all starts in Denver at Mile High Stadium, and although it’s an early-season game, it could come with major playoff implications down the road, with the winner potentially holding a key tiebreaker.
The Broncos and the Jaguars were both playoff teams in 2025, and both have high expectations for the future. Last season, Jacksonville defeated the Broncos on their own turf, 34-20, and the rematch will be closely watched by the entire league. It has already been named one of five can’t-miss games by ESPN’s Ben Solak.
Last season, the Jaguars put a statement win on their first-year surge under coach Liam Coen by winning in Denver 34-20. This year, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has a shiny new option in wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who might be the final “Infinity Stone” the team needs for a Super Bowl run.
But how healthy will Nix be this early in the season as he returns from an ankle injury? And how much Travis Hunter will Waddle see, as the Jaguars continue to fiddle with the snap distribution for their two-way unicorn? This is an important rematch.
Aside from being an important rematch, it’s also a tiebreaker in the series. The Jaguars and Broncos have faced each other 16 times, and each team has won eight games. And early analytics are giving the Broncos the edge in this upcoming matchup.
Yet as mentioned by Solak, Nix is coming off an injury, and Hunter will be playing more at cornerback in 2026, which could pose an even bigger problem for the Broncos offense.
For Jaguars fans, last year’s game was quickly notorious after Broncos head coach Sean Payton referred to Jacksonville as a “small-market” team, a comment that quickly became a rallying point for the Jaguars throughout the season. Now, less than a year later, the rematch is being highlighted nationally as one of the NFL’s most anticipated games.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ early season matchup named a must-watch game of 2026
Reporting by Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
