Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season is nearly a wrap, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Denver Broncos for a clash of the AFC West on “Monday Night Football” to close out the week.
All eyes will be on MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is officially active and set to make his return from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 campaign in Week 14. Even before his exit, Kansas City’s season had gone south, officially eliminated from the playoffs in the very game Mahomes suffered his season-ending injury. They’ll look to bounce back in 2026 with free-agent signing Kenneth Walker III leading a new-look run game to make it back to the postseason.
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The Broncos are coming off a very different season, having made it all the way to the AFC Championship after earning the No. 1 seed in the conference, before falling in a brutally close 10-7 game to the New England Patriots. In that game, quarterback Bo Nix suffered what would have been a season-ending ankle injury even if they had advanced, so Week 1 also marks his return, with a new receiving weapon in Jaylen Waddle, whom the club acquired this offseason in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Broncos-Chiefs start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Mo.
TV channel, live stream: ABC/ESPN
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos close out Week 1 on Monday Night Football.
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Matt Russell
Denver made a point to go out and get Jaylen Waddle, and I’ll be shocked if Sean Payton doesn’t make a point to use him constantly this season to take even more pressure off of Bo Nix.
Two quality corners went from the Chiefs to the Rams in the offseason, and that’s probably a necessary move in the long term for Kansas City to manage its salary cap. However, hoping first-round pick Mansoor Delane plays at a high level from Game 1, and that L’Jarius Sneed turns back the clock the second time around in K.C. seems perilous in a tough matchup. Especially with a pass rush mitigated by one of the best offensive lines in the league.
Read more of our best bets.
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With less than 90 minutes remaining until the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos kick off, each team has announced its inactives for Week 1.
Here’s a look:
Chiefs inactives
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QB Garrett Nussmeier (Emergency 3rd QB)
Broncos inactives
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QB Sam Ehlinger (Emergency 3rd QB)
Read the full article here
