On Thursday, the NFL released the entire 2026 regular season schedule. We now know the dates and times for every game the Kansas City Chiefs will pla
y (through Week 17).As we prepare for the upcoming slate, let’s take a look at where the schedule makers may have erred. These jump out as the three biggest misses.
1. An early primetime showcase no one demanded
The Chiefs starting the season against the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football” is intriguing. The narrative of the opener almost writes itself as the Chiefs face the team that dethroned
them after a decade of AFC West dominance. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, likely returning from injury in front of a raucous Arrowhead Stadium crowd, will be a great optic to close the NFL’s opening weekend.
Opposing quarterback Bo Nix’s ankle fracture, which has possibly cost Denver a trip to the Super Bowl, will also be a compelling angle as the Broncos try to stay on top of the division.
Less than a week later, however, the Chiefs will again be at home in primetime — this time against the Indianapolis Colts.
Seriously, will there be any hype for this matchup?
These teams last met in Week 11 last season, when the Chiefs won in overtime after an atrociously sloppy performance by both teams. No one who watched the Chiefs and Colts face off in November walked away with an appetite to see a rematch before a national audience.
Also, a week before Mahomes tore his knee ligaments, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones ruptured his Achilles tendon. This means the league will have standalone games featuring both quarterbacks coming off serious leg injuries in the first two weeks.
“Chiefs fatigue” is very real. It is a beautiful phenomenon when brought on by clutch performances that break the hearts of other fanbases. Unfortunately, it also results from the Chiefs frequently being put in unattractive spotlight games like Week 2 shapes up to be.
2. Delaying a must-see quarterback duel
The Cincinnati Bengals, behind star quarterback Joe Burrow, are the last AFC team to defeat the Chiefs in the postseason. For all the hype we see when Mahomes plays against Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills or Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, head-to-head games against Burrow feel a different level of personal because of the playoff history.
Pairings between Mahomes and Burrow also feel more special because they have not happened as frequently as the other AFC rivalries. This is partially due to Burrow’s injury history, which has seen him miss significant portions of the season three times in his six-year career.
The NFL is taking a gamble by scheduling the Chiefs’ visit to Cincinnati for Week 14. The last time the two teams met was in December 2023, when Mahomes faced off against career backup passer Jake Browning.
When the two sides meet, 819 days will have passed since Mahomes and Burrow last shared the field early in the 2024 season. Besides injury concerns for both quarterbacks from 2025, there is also always a chance one or both teams will have underperformed by the time the calendar reads December. The NFL should have prioritized this game earlier in the season to better ensure a premier event.
3. The earliest possible bye
The Chiefs will be off as soon as fantasy owners have to start paying attention to player byes in Week 5. Over half of their remaining 13 consecutive weeks of football will feature games against 2025 playoff teams. This includes both of last year’s Super Bowl teams — the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Someone has to be scheduled for the bye first, but it seems particularly unfortunate for the Chiefs. The team will face questions throughout the season about how they are managing Mahomes. The Chiefs will also need aging stars in defensive tackle Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce to stay fresh for a potential playoff run.
Another issue is that Kansas City will be depending on rookies to take significant defensive snaps. Many first-year players feel the grinding effects of the NFL late in the year — at the time their bodies are accustomed to the season being over. The rookies will effectively play an entire college season following the off week, with the playoffs hopefully following.
Kansas City will likely spin the early bye as a positive. Perhaps it will benefit Mahomes to get an early week off after playing the season’s first month. The Chiefs will also have 10 days between their Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Rams and their game against the Bengals.
There will also be a rest advantage in Week 6 over the Los Angeles Chargers, who will probably be coming off of a physically grueling game against the Broncos.
The team will say the right things, but this squad could have benefited from a scheduled break later in the season.
Do you have any other gripes about the schedule? Let us know in the comments.
