The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Denver Broncos in Week 1 on Monday Night Football, the league announced Tuesday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 14.
Denver snapped Kansas City's nine-year run as AFC West champions last season. The Broncos reached the AFC Championship Game, but their playoff run ended with a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.
Quarterback Bo Nix, who broke his ankle in the team's divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills, is expected to return for Week 1. Head coach Sean Payton announced last week that Nix will likely participate in June's mandatory minicamp and should be a full go for training camp.
On the other side, signal-caller Patrick Mahomes' Week 1 status is still up in the air. The two-time MVP suffered a torn ACL and LCL in mid-December, but Andy Reid said Mahomes is on track to participate in some capacity at OTAs that get underway May 26.
The Chiefs are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season. Their 6-11 record in 2025 was also the team's worst since Reid took over as coach in 2013.
Kansas City and Denver have faced off 132 times, including one postseason game, throughout this storied rivalry. The Chiefs hold a 73-59 all-time record against the Broncos.
