Chiefs to open 2026 NFL season with 'Monday Night Football' matchup vs. Broncos

The Kansas City Chiefs will open the 2026 NFL season back in primetime. The Chiefs will appear on the first “Monday Night Football” game of the year, where they will take on the division-rival Denver Broncos in Week 1, according to ESPN.

The location of the contest has yet to be determined, however.

It hasn’t been that long since both teams squared off. The Chiefs and Broncos last played in Week 17 last season, with Denver pulling off the 10-6 victory.

That contest occurred without Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was limited to just 14 games last season due to a torn ACL. Mahomes’ rehab has apparently gone well, leaving open the door for the quarterback’s return early in the 2026 NFL season. Will he be ready to play in time for Week 1? That’s unclear, but the NFL did give him one extra day to recover from the injury.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix finds himself in a similar spot heading into the game. While Nix was healthy during the team’s Week 17 win, he sustained a fractured ankle during the playoffs. Nix is working his way back from that issue, though is likely to put in work during the team’s minicamp in June, a good sign he’ll be ready to go in Week 1.

The NFL has slowly unveiled a handful of games in anticipation of its full schedule release, which will take place Thursday. On Monday, the league revealed the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will face off on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 1. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will also play in Week 1. That game will take place in Australia.

While many of the standalone games for Week 1 have been announced, the league has yet to reveal which team will take on the Seattle Seahawks to open the 2026 NFL season. The Chiefs were among one of the main contenders for that honor. With Kansas City out of the picture, the list of possible Seahawks opponents in Week 1 got even narrower Tuesday.