The Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos are set to kick off their seasons with a primetime showdown on Monday night
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs spent the better part of a decade ruling the AFC West.
Last year, the Denver Broncos finally knocked them from their throne.
So it seems only fitting that two franchises that have combined to win every division title going back to 2010 would open the season against each on Monday night, when the Broncos visit Arrowhead Stadium for a primetime showdown.
“There's a sense of urgency when you get somewhere new,” Denver coach Sean Payton said this week, when asked about the shift atop the division. “We have a ton of respect for Andy (Reid), his staff and what they've accomplished — that team. So our task, or our goal, was really get to work and find the right 53 guys each season, and work on the details of the game.”
There are plenty of storylines heading into a juicy Week 1 matchup.
Topping the list is the return of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the two-time league MVP, who had season-ending surgery in December the day after tearing ligaments in his left knee. Mahomes zipped through rehab and was cleared to take the field for the full offseason program, and while he looked sharp in practice, he was held out of the entirety of the preseason schedule.
“I don't know what the best-case scenario is, honestly,” Mahomes said. “I never came off an injury like this. I've never been in this situation before. So all I can do is prepare myself the best way I can, and that's just getting the most out of every single day.”
Broncos counterpart Bo Nix also is coming off a season-ending injury. He broke his right ankle in a divisional-round win over Buffalo and quickly had surgery, and after a minor cleanup procedure in April, the third-year pro is ready to go.
“He’s like a mountain lion in the zoo that’s just pacing,” Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “Mentally you can tell he’s like, ‘I’m ready to go do this.’”
Mahomes will have the benefit of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III lining up behind him, after the Chiefs paid handsomely for the former Seattle running back in free agency. But the Chiefs will be missing left tackle Josh Simmons, whose back injury hardly could've come at a worse time; the Broncos led the NFL by a wide margin in sacks last season.
In his place, the Chiefs plan to start undrafted rookie Khalil Benson, whose responsibility will be to protect Mahomes' blind side.
“He doesn't have a whole lot of reps under his belt, obviously, at this level, being a rookie,” Reid said, “but he's very willing, and if he has to step in there and play, which it looks like he probably will, we feel comfortable with that.”
Need to know
Denver (15-4 last season) at Kansas City (6-11).
When/where to watch: Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN/ABC.
Latest odds: Chiefs by 2 1/2.
Last meeting: Broncos beat the Chiefs 20-13 on Dec. 25, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Series record: Chiefs lead 73-59.
Matchup to watch
The Broncos' pass offense against the Chiefs' secondary. Denver traded first-, third- and fourth-round draft picks to the Dolphins to help land Jaylen Waddle, giving its wide receiver corps a big upgrade. Those receivers will be going against an almost entirely rebuilt defensive backfield after the Chiefs traded Trent McDuffie and lost Jaylen Watson and Brian Cook in free agency. Their biggest addition was cornerback Mansoor Delane, the sixth overall pick in the draft, while the signing of veteran safety Alohi Gilman in free agency went largely under the radar. Kansas City will be without its other safety, Chamarri Conner, because of an injury.
Stats and stuff
— The Chiefs are coming off their first losing season since 2012, the year before Reid arrived as head coach.
— The Broncos tied a franchise record with 14 regular-season wins last season. They went 14-2 in 1998, when they won the Super Bowl.
— Denver has won three straight and four of its last five against Kansas City.
— Mahomes was the backup to current Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb at Texas Tech. Webb started the first eight games in 2014 before getting hurt, giving Mahomes a chance to take over as the starting quarterback of the Red Raiders.
— Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has 87 1/2 sacks. He needs 2 1/2 more to pass Tamba Hali for second in franchise history.
— The Broncos had a club-record 68 sacks in 2025, becoming the first team in NFL history with at least 60 in consecutive years.
— The Broncos will wear their Summit White helmets and jerseys, pants and socks for the opener. They've worn the all-white look just one other time: their win over the Chiefs on Christmas Day in 2025.
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