| Team: | Denver Broncos |
| Year: | 1969 |
| Record: | 5–8–1 |
| Division Place: | 4th AFL West |
| Coach: | Lou Saban |
| General Manager: | Lou Saban |
| Owner: | Gerald Phipps |
| Stadium: | Mile High Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Shortnavlink: | Broncos seasons |
The 1969 Denver Broncos season was the team's tenth season as a franchise, and their final season in the American Football League (AFL) before the league merged with the National Football League (NFL). Led by third-year head coach and general manager Lou Saban, the Broncos were 5–8–1, fourth place in the AFL West for the seventh straight season.
Denver opened with two victories at home, but were winless in their previous five games entering the season finale; they avoided the division cellar with a home win over Cincinnati in the final AFL game for both.[1]
Of the original eight franchises, Denver was the only one to never play in the AFL postseason. Six of the teams won league titles; the other exception was Boston, who won their sole division title via a tiebreaker game in 1963. The Broncos posted their first winning record in 1973 and made their first postseason in 1977, advancing to Super Bowl XII.
See main article: article and 1969 NFL/AFL Draft.
| George Burrell | Defensive back | Penn | |
| Ken Criter | Linebacker | Wisconsin |
See main article: 1969 American Football League season.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 14 | Boston Patriots | W 35–7 | 1–0 | Mile High Stadium | 43,482 | Recap | |
| 2 | September 21 | New York Jets | W 21–19 | 2–0 | Mile High Stadium | 50,583 | Recap | |
| 3 | September 28 | at Buffalo Bills | L 28–41 | 2–1 | War Memorial Stadium | 40,302 | Recap | |
| 4 | October 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 13–26 | 2–2 | Mile High Stadium | 50,564 | Recap | |
| 5 | October 12 | Oakland Raiders | L 14–24 | 2–3 | Mile High Stadium | 49,511 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 19 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–23 | 3–3 | Nippert Stadium | 27,920 | Recap | |
| 7 | October 26 | at Houston Oilers | L 21–24 | 3–4 | Astrodome | 45,348 | Recap | |
| 8 | November 2 | San Diego Chargers | W 13–0 | 4–4 | Mile High Stadium | 45,511 | Recap | |
| 9 | November 9 | at Oakland Raiders | L 10–41 | 4–5 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,416 | Recap | |
| 10 | November 16 | Houston Oilers | T 20–20 | 4–5–1 | Mile High Stadium | 45,002 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 23 | at San Diego Chargers | L 24–45 | 4–6–1 | San Diego Stadium | 34,664 | Recap | |
| 12 | November 27 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–31 | 4–7–1 | Municipal Stadium | 48,773 | Recap | |
| 13 | December 7 | at Miami Dolphins | L 24–27 | 4–8–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 25,332 | Recap | |
| 14 | December 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 27–16 | 5–8–1 | Mile High Stadium | 42,198 | Recap | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||