For some time now, Patrick Mahomes has been working against the clock to be able to fully recover from the very serious injury suffered last season. In the last few hours, it became known that the Kansas City Chiefs will make their debut in the 2026 NFL season against the Denver Broncos in the first MNF, so the quarterback already knows what his finish line is.
According to insider Adam Schefter through his X account, the venue is still to be determined as the NFL still is finalizing its schedule for Thursday’s release. The game will be played on September 14.
Mahomes remains on track for the upcoming OTAs, so the hope of seeing him in Week 1 is very big. Chiefs Kingdom imperiously need their biggest star in order to reverse the last image outside the playoffs.
Reid has several alternatives in the Chiefs QB room
Andy Reid can be proud of having one of the most interesting QB rooms this season in the American Conference. A mix of veteran presence, experience, and also youth makes the Kansas City Chiefs well covered in the event of a potential absence of Patrick Mahomes.
Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Justin Fields arrived as the primary backup after his stint with the New York Jets. In addition, in the latest draft they bet on the talent of Garrett Nussmeier, who, despite his injury history, has shown flashes of great talent in his last season with the LSU Tigers.
Finally, the veteran Chris Oladokun remained in the rotation. The one who was not as fortunate as his peers was Jake Haener, who was recently cut by the Chiefs.
The tragic end of the season for Mahomes
The hopes of finishing the 2025 season in a respectable way for the Kansas City Chiefs finally sank during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Week 15. There, on an unfortunate play, Patrick Mahomes suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear along with damage to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his left knee. The injury required immediate surgery, so the quarterback had to go through a tough recovery process.
Latest’s meetings between Chiefs and Broncos
The Denver Broncos have shifted the momentum in this AFC West rivalry by winning both of their most recent encounters during the 2025 season. Denver first secured a hard-fought 22–19 victory on November 16, 2025, proving it could shut down the Kansas City offense in key moments. They followed that performance with a definitive 20–13 win on Christmas Day, effectively sweeping the season series and signaling a change in the divisional standings.
