Tuesday Takes: Chiefs get advantage with early matchup vs. Broncos

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• New, improved notifications system! The Broncos are the reigning champions of the AFC West, while the Chiefs are looking to rebound from a third-place finish in 2025, ending a nine-year streak of winning the division. The long-time rivalry’s first rendition of 2026 will take place at Arrowhead, an advantage for the Chiefs in the moment, but many fans in Chiefs Kingdom to be the latter of the two matchups. Does one team or another have a real advantage when it comes to the starting quarterbacks recovering from injury? is set to take the field in OTAs later this month, while Broncos head coach Sean Payton has . Our friendly foes at *Mile High Report* pointed out a seemingly strong advantage in the Broncos’ direction to consider: Denver’s wide receiver duo of Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton will be a handful for the Chiefs’ rebuilt secondary to deal with right out of the gate. First-round pick, rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, cornerback , and the rest of the team’s secondary do have to be on their A-game out of the gates. Nix has no problem playing the gunslinger role and giving his guys chances downfield. Cornerback was a victim of that on a big play in Denver last season. All that said, I believe it’s clear the Chiefs get an advantage by seeing Denver right out of the gates, regardless of the venue. Kansas City, under head coach Andy Reid, has been notorious for hot starts to the season, and it comes from the intensity of the training camp he puts on in the preseason. Last season was an anomaly in this era of Chiefs football. The team started 0-2, highlighted by a season-opening loss to an AFC West foe: the . Last season’s team was clearly flawed enough to require major change this offseason, and the absence of receivers to start the season made things very difficult to continue Reid’s history of strong performances in September. With a fresh team, history actually suggests a group of newcomers will more likely lead to a strong start for the Chiefs.