Denver entered professional football in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League, enduring a difficult first decade that included some of the league's weakest teams. The Broncos remained a middling club through much of the 1970s before an aggressive defense nicknamed the "Orange Crush" carried the franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance following the 1977 season. Quarterback John Elway arrived in 1983 and, under head coach Dan Reeves, led Denver to three more Super Bowl appearances in the late 1980s, all losses. The franchise's fortunes turned in the late 1990s under coach Mike Shanahan, as Elway and running back Terrell Davis combined to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles following the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Denver remained competitive through the 2000s and added another Super Bowl appearance after acquiring quarterback Peyton Manning in 2012, culminating in a Super Bowl 50 victory over Carolina following the 2015 season. A lengthy down period followed, marked by frequent coaching and quarterback changes, until the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group purchased the team from the Bowlen family trust in 2022. Sean Payton took over as head coach in 2023 and rebuilt the roster around quarterback Bo Nix, returning Denver to playoff contention.