Denver Broncos will open the 2026 season on Monday Night Football at home vs. the Kansas City Chiefs

TL;DR

The Denver Broncos will kick off the 2026 NFL season on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 14th at 6:15 MT. This matchup features key players Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes returning from injuries.

Key points

Broncos open 2026 season vs. Chiefs on Monday Night Football
Game scheduled for September 14th at 6:15 MT
Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes return from injuries
Broncos made offseason trades for key players
Broncos swept Chiefs last season

Denver BroncosKansas City ChiefsBo NixPatrick Mahomes

DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 16: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs hugs Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos after the game at Empower Field At Mile High on November 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images We have the season opener! It was announced this morning that the Denver Broncos will open the 2026 regular season vs. their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Monday Night Football. The game will happen on Monday, September 14th, at 6:15 MT, but the location of the game is TBD. This game is full of storylines. First, it’s a season opener between two hated AFC West rivals who figure to be the top contenders for the AFC West title once again, so this will be an important week one matchup. Also, it’ll be the return of both Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes. As we know, Nix suffered a broken ankle in the final moments of their thrilling Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills, while the Chiefs lost quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL late in the season. Nix is expected to be ready to go well before the start of training camp, and all signs seem to point to Patrick Mahomes being ready for the start of the season as well. So, it will be another Nix vs. Mahomes classic. It will also be the debut of multiple big offseason additions. The Broncos made a blockbuster trade for wide receiver , and he’ll matchup vs. rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, who the Chiefs selected early in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chiefs will debut running back , who is coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance, so the Broncos’ defense will need to be ready for that. The last two times Nix faced Mahomes, the Broncos had the opportunity for a game-winning field goal. In 2024, Nix led a potential game-winning drive in Arrowhead, but the field goal was unfortunately blocked. However, last season, the Nix led another late 4th-quarter game-winning drive, but this time the field goal was good, and Nix would get his first head-to-head victory over Patrick Mahomes. The Broncos would go on to sweep the Chiefs last season and extend a three-game winning streak over them. It should be noted that Mahomes only played in one of those games, but those other two games still counted. The 2026 NFL Schedule will be released fully on Thursday Night at 6 pm MT, but ***.*** The Broncos figure to have multiple primetime games this season, so this should not be the only major announcement that includes the Broncos. So, when it comes to the 2026 Denver Broncos schedule release.

Q&A

When will the Denver Broncos play the Kansas City Chiefs in 2026?

The Denver Broncos will play the Kansas City Chiefs on September 14, 2026, at 6:15 MT.

What are the key storylines for the Broncos vs. Chiefs season opener?

Key storylines include the return of quarterbacks Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes from injuries and the debut of new players like Jaylen Waddle and Kenneth Walker.

How did the Broncos perform against the Chiefs last season?

The Broncos swept the Chiefs last season, extending their winning streak to three games, with Bo Nix securing his first head-to-head victory over Patrick Mahomes.