Chiefs vs. Broncos: Division rivals Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix make their return in Monday night matchup

Week 1 concludes at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night, September 14, at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos, broadcast across ESPN and ABC with streaming available via Fubo.

Kansas City looks to recover from a difficult 6-11 campaign in which their nine-year AFC West championship streak snapped with a third-place finish and their first postseason absence since 2014. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes makes his comeback after suffering an ACL tear late in that year.

During that previous season, Mahomes established personal career lows with a 62.7 percent completion rate, 7.1 yards gained per throw, and 22 touchdown passes, though he offset those struggles by rushing for 422 yards and five scores—scrambling production he has stated will decrease following his knee injury. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the host Chiefs as 2.5-point favorites with an over/under set at 43.5.

Denver arrives after capturing the division crown and the conference's top overall seed with a 14-3 record in 2025. That postseason run halted in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, an elimination that occurred while starting signal-caller Bo Nix was sidelined by a fractured ankle sustained one round earlier.

With Nix now healthy and back under center, the visiting Broncos aim to defend their divisional reign against their longtime rivals.

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