The 2026 NFL regular season begins this week and ends with a “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. Before the action starts on Wednesday night, let’s see where the Chiefs stand in the minds of national football writers.
Here’s this week’s sampling:
NFL.com: 14
A smooth offseason and seemingly successful return to action for Patrick Mahomes has Kansas City in a place of relative stability entering 2026. There is valid concern regarding left tackle Josh Simmons’ status,
though, which isn’t great news for those hoping for a safe start to the season for Mahomes. There’s also the new-look secondary, which hasn’t been tested yet, leaving plenty of questions for the Chiefs to answer when they welcome the AFC West rival Broncos to Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.
— Nick Shook
ESPN: 13
Entering this season, Kelce has 13,002 receiving yards. All he needs is 45 yards to surpass Jason Witten for the second most by a tight end in NFL history. Fans can expect Kelce to reach this next accomplishment in the Chiefs’ season opener against the Broncos, a rival he has tormented throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Mahomes, who is expected to be ready for Week 1 after knee surgery, has always made Kelce his go-to pass catcher on third down. It’s possible Kelce passes Witten on a third down before the “Monday Night Football” halftime show.
— Nate Taylor
The Athletic: 14
Last ranking: 18
First game: vs. Broncos, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Mock’s projected win total: 9.6
Our last power rankings assumed Patrick Mahomes would probably miss the start of the season. Astoundingly, even though he suffered an ACL tear in mid-December, it looks like he will be the Chiefs’ starting quarterback out of the gate. There is still plenty that ailed the Chiefs a year ago (and could again this year), but it’d be wise not to bet against Mahomes.
— Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Pro Football Talk: 13
When it’s time to call the plays, will they truly commit to the run?
— Mike Florio
CBSSports.com: 12
Don’t go sleeping on the Chiefs. As long as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are together, they will be in the playoff mix and more.
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 12
Patrick Mahomes is likely going to start in Week 1 coming off an ACL surgery, but it will be a bit of an unusual Week 1 for him. Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs’ starters usually log some time in the preseason. Mahomes didn’t play at all this preseason as the Chiefs played it safe with him. However, in 2020, when there were no preseason games due to the pandemic, Mahomes had 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in his first four games. We’ll see if he looks rusty early this season.
— Frank Schwab
USA Today: 13
While focus is justifiably trained on the Super Bowl MVP backfield of QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Kenneth Walker III, plenty should be devoted to a revamped defense − the secondary especially − that was quietly one of the league’s stingiest in K.C.’s lost 2025 campaign.
— Nate Davis
FOX Sports: 15
Patrick Mahomes may be on track to start the season opener, but will he be the same old superstar? The Chiefs have the chance to rise or fall quickly in these rankings based on the early answer to that.
— Ralph Vacchiano
