The Denver Broncos will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 as they’ll open up the year on primetime for Monday Night Football.
Denver Broncos to open season vs. Chiefs on Monday Night Football
Bo Nix vs. Patrick Mahomes will highlight the Denver Broncos Week 1 season opener as they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. It was announced on Tuesday morning, but there’s an interesting wrinkle — whether or not it will be home at Empower Field at Mile High or away in Kansas City hasn’t been announced yet.
That won’t be known until Thursday when the full schedule release comes out.
Last season, the Broncos swept the Chiefs. Nix and the Broncos beat Mahomes in Week 11, 22-19, behind the defense’s sacking and picking off Mahomes, and Nix led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, including converting on a 3rd and 15 while backed up near their own end zone.
Nix and Mahomes have become a compelling rivalry/matchup, and there’s no better way to kick off the 2026 NFL season than with those two facing off in an AFC West divisional game under the bright lights.
Mahomes is coming off an ACL injury, and September will put him around nine months of recovery. While there are questions about whether or not he’ll be ready, the safe guess is that he will, but it will be his first extensive game back from the multiligament knee injury and it’s fair to expect that there will be an adjustment period for him, especially with Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, and the Broncos pass rush that has led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons.
Plus, this matchup will see the debut of Jaylen Waddle in a Broncos uniform, and it will be interesting to see if Chiefs’ rookie first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane will cover him or Courtland Sutton.
The full NFL schedule release will be revealed on Thursday, and we’ll know the Broncos entire schedule.