The rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos will take center stage to begin the 2026 NFL season.
The NFL announced Monday that the Chiefs and Broncos will face off Sept. 14 in the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season. The matchup will air on ESPN as part of Week 1 action.
The game features two AFC West rivals coming off dramatically different 2025 seasons. Denver captured the division title and earned the AFC’s top seed last season, while Kansas City finished third in the division and missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Questions also remain surrounding the health of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from knee injuries suffered late last season. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is also returning from an ankle injury but is expected to be ready for training camp.
The location for the game has not yet been officially announced. The full 2026 NFL schedule is expected to be released Thursday night.
