The Denver Broncos are set to host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday afternoon. Check out NFL.com's preview (and expert game picks) in the video below.

If you're into social media trends, the AFC Championship Game lines up well with "2026 is the new 2016." The No. 2 seed New England Patriots are heading to the Mile High City to meet the Denver Broncos, who are the No. 1 seed in the conference. And that's about where the similarities end.

Sean Payton has the Broncos atop the AFC in his third season with the organization, but what does his contract look like?

The Broncos are 4-0 at home with referee Alex Kemp. The Patriots went 3-0 in Kemp games during the 2025 regular season.

The winners will be announced on Feb. 5.

NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown.

Elsewhere on the ex-Denver player front, safety Omar Brown signed a reserve/future deal with the Miami Dolphins, international tight end Thomas Yassmin landed a reserve/future contract with the Chargers and edge defender Andrew Farmer received a reserve/future deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Cornerback Carlton Davis III (concussion protocol), linebacker Christian Elliss (hip), tight end Hunter Henry (rest/non-injury), tackle Morgan Moses (rest/non-injury), and tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee) were all limited in practice on Wednesday.