The 2026 NFL season’s opening week is about to get wild, but you’ll have to wait a bit for one of the most anticipated matchups. The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are set to make their debut as the *last* teams to kick off their season. Believe it or not, both starting quarterbacks are coming back from some brutal injuries. Talk about high stakes right out of the gate, right?
Monday Night Lights, But You Gotta Wait
While other teams are already smashing it out in midweek games, including a Super Bowl rematch and an NFC West showdown, Denver fans are stuck waiting. The Broncos’ first game is the absolute last one to start, stretching out the anticipation for a team that was the AFC’s No. 1 seed and hosted the AFC Championship Game just last year. Their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs is locked in for Monday Night Football in Week 1, on September 14. Kickoff is slated for 6:15 p.m. MT (that’s 8:15 p.m. ET for us on the coast) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. You can catch all the action nationally televised on ABC and ESPN, with streaming available on FuboTV and the ESPN App. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are on the call, with Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines. And yeah, the legendary ManningCast, featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, is back for this first Monday Night game, airing on ESPN2 and the ESPN App.
Bo Nix and Mahomes: Walking Wounded in Week 1?
Seriously, this is the biggest storyline going into Week 1 for these two. Both starting quarterbacks are fresh off significant injuries from late in the 2025 season. Kansas City coach Andy Reid confirmed that Patrick Mahomes is expected to start against Denver, even though he’s only nine months removed from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee last December. And for the Broncos, Bo Nix is also expected to start Week 1, according to coach Sean Payton. Nix fractured his right ankle late in a January playoff win against the Bills and required surgery in both January and April. You’ve got to wonder how rusty these guys will be, or if they’ll be trying to protect themselves out there. The Chiefs are already favored by 3 points over the Broncos, sitting at -150 on the moneyline to win outright, while Denver is the underdog at +125. The over/under is set at 43.5 points.
This Monday Night showdown is going to be electric. Everyone is watching to see how these two injured QBs perform under the bright lights right away. It’s not just a game, it’s a statement.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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