The days are getting shorter, the morning air is crisper, kids are returning to school, and Halloween decorations smack you in the face when you enter stores. This can only mean one thing. Fall is near, and with it, a new season of Kansas City Chiefs football.
Part of the fun of preparing for a new football season is planning road trips to support your favorite team in a different city, to go wear red in the “Black Hole.” It’s a great way to spend a weekend during the NFL season.
Ranking road trips
for the football season takes three main factors into account:
- Uniqueness of the matchup: How often do the Chiefs play this opponent? While Allegiant Stadium is a great place to watch a football game, the Kansas City Chiefs play the Raiders twice a year. This road trip could be punted to a future season in favor of a road trip to see a team harder to come by.
- The stadium and city quality: Next, how highly ranked is the stadium, and what fun extracurriculars are there in the city to fill out a weekend? A stadium with poor views, infrastructure, or a lackluster fan experience won’t make for as fun a road trip. Likewise, an NFL game is only three hours of your weekend. What else can the city offer? How is the food and beverage scene? What other local attractions are there?
- The matchup: The Chiefs have some heavy hitters on their 2026 road slate. The schedule features matchups against several Super Bowl hopefuls, along with rising bitter rivals. A high-stakes game in late November or December against a highly ranked opponent or rival will carry more weight and be higher in these rankings than an early-season tilt against an NFL bottom-feeder. A matchup is even more enticing in primetime.
With these factors in mind, and to help you plan your football road trips, let’s rank the Chiefs road games in 2026.
Tier 3: Consider staying home
No. 9: Miami Dolphins — Hard Rock Stadium
Week 3: Sunday, September 27. Noon
Just when it’s getting cooler in Kansas City, you could make the trip to South Florida if you’re looking to immerse yourself once again in thick humidity. A Sunday September afternoon in Miami figures to be steamy, and there’s no guarantee this game will be worth the miles to get there. The Dolphins are in the midst of another rebuild and are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2026, so the matchup isn’t enticing on paper.
There are no major storylines to look forward to in this one either. The Tyreek Hill factor is out of the equation, so this one lacks juice. However, if you want to relive the memories of Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium — I wouldn’t blame you.
No. 8: Las Vegas Raiders — Allegiant Stadium
Week 4: Sunday, October 4. 3:25 PM
As already mentioned, the Chiefs and Raiders are a matchup we’ve seen —literally, over 100 times. Allegiant Stadium is a fantastic place to watch a football game, but the Raiders aren’t projected to make a major leap forward in 2026.
The Raiders haven’t named a starter yet, but it’s expected that 2026 first-overall pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza will not be the starter. There are just other games on the road schedule that are more exciting. But Vegas is a cheap destination and a fun place to spend a weekend. So no one will fault you for wanting to see the Chiefs continue their winning ways in Vegas.
No. 7: Atlanta Falcons — Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Week 10: Sunday, November 15. Noon
This one barely edges out the Raiders game, strictly due to the uniqueness of the matchup. As an AFC team, the Chiefs do not play the NFC Falcons often, let alone travel to Atlanta. The Falcons are not expected to be a good team in 2026 either, with their quarterback situation potentially being the worst in the league. But this game could pose more playoff ramifications, being in mid-November. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is also well known as having some of the most affordable concessions in the NFL.
Tier 2: Solid matchups and road trips
No. 6: Los Angeles Chargers — SoFi Stadium
Week 17: TBD
Chiefs-Chargers games are almost always fantastic. This mid-tier ranking isn’t about the quality of the matchup or of the stadium. SoFi is a fantastic football venue. It’s bumped down in the rankings because it’s a common opponent for the Chiefs, and because another trip to SoFi appears later in the rankings.
No. 5: Denver Broncos — Empower Field at Mile High
Week 8: Sunday, November 1. 3:25 PM
A great divisional matchup, which could be higher in the rankings if it were later in the year. The consequences of this game won’t be felt as highly as if it were played in late November or December. Mile High is another great stadium to watch a game, against the AFC West defending champs. Bad blood is beginning to brew once again between these two teams—which makes for a great rivalry. The Chiefs will be on a mission to reclaim the West crown. Denver is a fantastic city to visit with countless recreational opportunities and attractions to make for a fun weekend.
No. 4: Cincinnati Bengals — Paycor Stadium
Week 14: Sunday, December 13. 3:25 PM
A game that may have been top-ranked a few years ago, this Bengals-Chiefs game in mid-December has the chance to renew this rivalry. The hatred between these teams has seemed to cool off a bit in recent memory. The teams have not met since September 2024, and we are three years removed from their last playoff matchup. Both franchises are looking for a bounce-back campaign. The stadium is nothing exciting, and no one wants chili on spaghetti — but this one will feel like the playoffs and have postseason ramifications.
Tier 1: The S-Tier
No. 3: Seattle Seahawks — Lumen Field
Week 7: Sunday, October 25. 7:20 PM
This is a great football game to only be ranked third on this list. The Chiefs will visit the defending Super Bowl champs on Sunday Night Football in late October. We’ll know the general trajectory of these teams by then. New Chiefs’ running back Kenneth Walker III will make his first appearance against his original team — after winning Super Bowl MVP the last time he was in a Seahawks jersey. Head coach Andy Reid will undoubtedly have some special plays dialed up just for him. Seattle is also an amazing city, and a great place to watch a football game. Lumen Field comes in second after Arrowhead in terms of crowd noise. Chiefs Kingdom will feel right at home.
No. 2: Los Angeles Rams —SoFi Stadium
Week 13: Thursday, December 3. 7:15 PM
I flipped the second and third spots in this ranking a few times. SoFi is a common destination for the Chiefs, and despite making two trips there in 2026, this matchup is too good to be ranked lower. The Rams are the offseason darlings of the NFL, currently the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. Not only is this game a great matchup, but cornerback Trent McDuffie will be making his first appearance against his former team following the April trade. Thursday Night Football in primetime—everyone will be seated for this one.
No. 1: Buffalo Bills — Highmark Stadium
Week 12: Thursday, November 26. 7:20 PM
We all knew this would be at the top of the rankings. Every game between these teams turns into an instant classic. The Bills have owned the regular-season matchups, while the Chiefs own the postseason. Everything is working in this game’s favor. Bitter rivalry? Check. Great quarterbacks? Check. New stadium? Check. Fun city to visit? Check. And to top it all off — Thanksgiving football in primetime. Chiefs-Bills will be a fantastic way to cap off Turkey Day. There will be no tryptophan-induced comas in this one.
This isn’t the right opinion; it’s just my opinion. Do you agree with these rankings of the road trips in 2026 for Chiefs fans?
Give us your own rankings in the comments below.
