Broncos-Chiefs Set for Monday Night Football Opener

Why it matters locally: The Kansas City Chiefs, a prominent Missouri-based NFL team, will open their 2026 season on Monday Night Football, drawing significant viewership and economic activity to the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The Denver Broncos will play the Kansas City Chiefs in the opening *Monday Night Football* game of the 2026 NFL season on September 14. ESPN will broadcast the AFC West contest at 8:15 p.m. ET. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will call the game, marking the start of their fifth season together for ESPN. Denver concluded Kansas City's nine-season streak of AFC West titles in 2025. The Broncos finished the 2025 regular season 14-3, securing the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Quarterback Bo Nix sustained an ankle injury late in an overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills, missing the AFC Championship Game. The New England Patriots defeated Denver 10-7 in that contest. Broncos head coach Sean Payton indicated Nix will be at full strength for training camp. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is recovering from ACL and LCL tears in his left knee, sustained in Week 15 of the 2025 season. Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach stated Mahomes is ahead of schedule, targeting a Week 1 return. The specific location for the Broncos-Chiefs game will be announced later, prior to the full NFL schedule release on Thursday.