The Denver Broncos were founded in 1960; they were a charter member of the American Football League which formed that year and later merged with the NFL (1970).

In their very first season (1960), the Denver Broncos went 4-9-1, winning their first two games, but losing nine of the next twelve. In that first season, they defeated only the Boston Patriots (twice), the Buffalo Bills, and the Oakland Raiders.

In 1998, Terrell Davis became the first Denver Bronco to rush for more than 20 touchdowns in a season, finishing with 2,008 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He also had 25 receptions that season for 217 yards and 2 TDs.

The Denver Broncos can boast of all the following distinctions: 1) They were the first AFL team to defeat an NFL team, besting the Detroit Lions 13-7 on August 5, 1967. 2) They had the first african-american place-kicker in pro football history, Gene Mingo, who also played halfback and kick-returner. 3) They were the first professional football team to wear vertically-striped socks.

Incredibly, the Denver Broncos drafted RB Terrell Davis in the 6th round (196th overall pick) of the 1995 NFL draft. Davis turned out to be a real steal, posting four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons (three of them over 1,500 yards!), earning several MVP awards, and leading the Broncos to two Super Bowl victories (1997 & 1998) before suffering a knee injury which would ultimately end his career.

In 1992, Simon Fletcher became the first Denver Bronco to compile more than 15 sacks in a season. He finished the season with 16.

In 1977, rookie head coach Red Miller led the Denver Broncos to an impressive 12-2 record, their first playoff appearance, and ultimately to Super Bowl XII, where they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys 27-10.

In 2000, Brian Griese became the first Denver Bronco to finish a season (minimum of 200 passes) with a passer rating higher than 100. He completed 216 of 336 passes that year for 2,688 yards, 19 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. His passer rating for the season was an impressive 102.9.

John Elway was originally drafted by the Baltimore Colts with the 1st overall pick of the 1983 NFL draft. Unfortunately for the Colts, Elway threatened to give up football and pursue a professional baseball career if they didn't trade him to a select list of teams. Realizing this was no idle threat (Elway had already spent two summers playing in the New York Yankees minor league system), the Colts traded him to the Denver Broncos for QB Mark Herrmann, OL Chris Hinton, and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft. Elway would go on to have a stellar career with the Broncos, leading the team to five Super Bowls and back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1997 and 1998. He ended his career in a blaze of glory, earning MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXIII, and in 2004, his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

On March 3, 2004, the Denver Broncos completed a blockbuster trade with the Washington Redskins, sending Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis to Washington for Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round draft pick. In his first season with the Broncos, Bailey had 81 tackles (68 solo), 9 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions.