Broncos Will Now Have to Face a “Former Family” With Super Bowl DNA Inside the AFC West

The 2026 NFL season hasn’t kicked off yet, but the Denver Broncos already have a new and deeply personal challenge waiting inside the AFC West. The moment Klint Kubiak officially joined the Las Vegas Raiders after helping lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title, the division shifted in a way Denver couldn’t ignore. This wasn’t just another coaching hire — it was the return of a familiar football lineage, now standing on the opposite sideline.

For the Broncos, Kubiak is far from an unknown name. He spent two separate stints in Denver, serving as an offensive assistant, quarterbacks coach, and later as the team’s passing game coordinator. He even took over play-calling duties late in the 2022 season. Few coaches entering the division understand Denver’s organizational DNA, tendencies, and recent evolution better than Kubiak does.

What elevates this move beyond a typical rivalry storyline is the name he carries. Klint is the son of Gary Kubiak, the Super Bowl–winning head coach who led the Broncos to a championship during the 2015 season and helped define one of the most successful eras in franchise history. Seeing another Kubiak now leading a division rival adds a historical weight that resonates deeply in Denver.

From a football perspective, the concern is very real. Kubiak didn’t arrive in Las Vegas on reputation alone. His work in Seattle helped shape one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses, culminating in a Super Bowl victory and the resurgence of quarterback Sam Darnold. That success is what convinced the Raiders to hand him the keys as they attempt to reset their direction after years of instability.

Unlike past Raiders rebuilds, this one comes with structure. Las Vegas enters the offseason with significant salary-cap flexibility and premium draft capital, giving Kubiak the tools to implement his offensive vision quickly. With young talent already in place and the potential addition of a franchise quarterback, the Raiders are positioned to accelerate faster than many expected.

For Denver, the timing is uncomfortable. The Broncos are in a critical phase under head coach Sean Payton, with quarterback Bo Nix still on his rookie contract. That window demands urgency, efficiency, and progress — but the AFC West is tightening instead of easing.

The Chiefs remain anchored by Patrick Mahomes. The Chargers are expected to rebound once healthy. And now the Raiders have injected Super Bowl-tested leadership with intimate knowledge of Denver’s past into the equation. The margin for error is shrinking fast.

This isn’t just another coaching change on the schedule. It’s a storyline layered with history, familiarity, and championship pedigree. For the Broncos, facing the Raiders in 2026 will now mean lining up against a “former family” — one carrying the same Super Bowl DNA that once helped lift Denver to the top of the NFL, now repurposed to challenge them from within the division.