Which quarterback is going to start for the Broncos come Week 1? This week, a different question: Which quarterback will Sean Payton’s team be facing in Week 1?

Could it be Russell Wilson? Patrick Mahomes? Justin Herbert or Aaron Rodgers?

They’re all on the docket for Denver this fall and we should find out soon in what order Denver will face them.

The past couple of years, the NFL has announced its full slate the second Thursday of May (this year, that’s May 9). But as of Monday afternoon, the league hasn’t actually announced its plans.

Still, it’s coming. Probably soon. And that means the moment has again arrived for a time-honored Denver Post tradition: Predicting the Broncos’ schedule.

There’s not many clues so far. We know Denver’s not playing an international game. They’re unlikely to play Thanksgiving Day since it would have to be the primetime slot — Detroit and Dallas host the other two games that day and the Broncos don’t play either.

A new NFL wrinkle this winter: A pair of Christmas Day games despite the holiday falling on a Wednesday. If Denver gets one of those, it will be playing the Saturday before.

Without further ado, here are the dueling scheduling predictions from Broncos beat reporters Parker Gabriel and Ryan McFadden. To the winner: Eternal glory.

McFadden’s projection

Week 1: Indianapolis Colts

Week 2: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 3: at New York Jets

Week 4: Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday Night Football)

Out of all the games on Denver’s schedule, its matchup against Pittsburgh is one of the few that warrants the spotlight. Less than a year after getting let go from the Broncos, Russell Wilson comes back to the Mile High City with the opportunity to get revenge on head coach Sean Payton, who benched him near the end of the 2023 campaign.

Week 5: at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 6: Bye

Week 7: Carolina Panthers

This might be the least intriguing matchup on Denver’s schedule. Still, this will be an opportunity for the Broncos to build some momentum coming out of the bye week.

Week 8: at New Orleans Saints

Payton will return to New Orleans, where he won a Super Bowl and built one of the league’s most prolific offenses, for the first time as Denver’s head coach. Given the state of both organizations, it’s hard to see this matchup getting a prime time slot. But this will still be a big moment for Payton and the Saints’ fanbase.

Week 9: Las Vegas Raiders

Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 11: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 12: Cleveland Browns

Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals (Thursday Night Football)

Nix vs. Joe Burrow. Pat Surtain II vs. Ja’Marr Chase. If Nix is indeed the quarterback Payton envisioned him to be, this game warrants a prime time slot.

Week 14: Atlanta Falcons

Week 15: L.A. Chargers

Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 17: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 18: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The only implications this game might have will be the Chiefs trying to secure the first seed in the AFC playoff race — and the Broncos’ draft slot, of course.

Gabriel’s projection

Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday Night Football)

The Broncos aren’t likely to be a big primetime draw this fall given the mild expectations, but Russell Wilson’s return will do the trick. Note to the NFL schedule-makers: This one should be early in the season or it could end up being Justin Fields vs. the Broncos.

Week 2: at L.A. Chargers

Week 3: Indianapolis Colts

Week 4: at New Orleans

Maybe you’ve heard: Payton used to coach the Saints. His return to the Bayou will be quite a spectacle, especially if he’s waltzing in with a rookie quarterback as his starter and, essentially, the key to his second act in the NFL.

Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs

Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 7: at New York Jets

The Broncos have four games in the Eastern time zone this fall. If Denver gets two of them in back-to-back weeks, look for the franchise to make arrangements to set up shop somewhere out there — a week at the Greenbriar in West Virginia, anyone? — rather than trek back to Denver in between.

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: Atlanta Falcons

Week 10: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 11: Carolina Panthers (Thursday Night Football)

Week 12: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs

The Broncos ended the losing streak against Patrick Mahomes and Co. last fall in Denver. Notching a win at Arrowhead in December would be another matter entirely.

Week 14: Cleveland Browns

Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 16: Las Vegas Raiders

This is the week that would be a Saturday game if the Broncos were going to get put on the Wednesday, Christmas Day extravaganza. Let’s not.

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Probably manifesting too hard here by avoiding Christmas Day and slotting the trip to Florida for late December, but hey, this is my projection. I’m not asking for that much.

Week 18: L.A. Chargers

Last year the Broncos bookended the season with the Raiders. This year we project a different divisional opponent. Soon enough, we’ll know what the actual scheduling overlords have in store.

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