The Denver Broncos' 2026 season kicks off with a primetime matchup on the road against their AFC West rivals Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, Sept. 14. In preparation for the matchup, we went behind enemy lines and asked Chiefs Wire writer John Dillon five questions about KC's squad and Monday's matchup. Check out our questions and John's answers below.
1) The biggest storyline going into 2026 is obviously Patrick Mahomes’ recovery. How did he look in camp? How will he hold up during the season?
It is hard to say exactly how this season might play out for Mahomes. He looked fine in training camp and seems to have made a full recovery from his knee injury. Kansas City added Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency to take some heat off Mahomes in the passing game, but it remains to be seen if Andy Reid will commit to establishing the run in 2026. While I'm not expecting another
MVP campaign from Mahomes this year, it seems likely that he will at least be able to get the Chiefs back in playoff contention.
2) Is this season Andy Reid’s final season coaching?
Andy Reid will get to coach in Kansas City until he decides to retire. He turned 68 years old earlier this year on March 18. He got his first coaching job (as a BYU Cougars graduate assistant) during the Reagan administration. Reid may well outlive/outcoach us all.
3) Name one new Chief, draftee or free agent signing, everyone should look out for in 2026.
Of course, Kenneth Walker III is the logical pick here, but it is actually the former Seattle Seahawk's rookie backup — fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson — who turned heads for Kansas City in the preseason. The Chiefs' offense will live or die by its ability to run the ball in 2026, and both of Kansas City's new rushers are likely to play key roles in helping Patrick Mahomes reacclimate to life under center, especially early in the season.
4) What does a successful 2026 season look like for the Chiefs?
When a team has a truly generational quarterback, anything short of a Super Bowl victory is, ultimately, a failure. Mahomes has the rest of his 30s to cement his legacy as the best passer of all time, and while it is unfair to expect him to win the Super Bowl every year, somehow his past accomplishments make it seem plausible that he could. At a minimum, the Chiefs should be able to compete seriously in the playoffs and win 10 or more games in the regular season.
5) Final score prediction and why?
I think Denver probably wins this Week 1 matchup. When I imagine this game playing out in my head, it seems unlikely that Kansas City will get off to a particularly hot start in Mahomes' first drives under center, and the Chiefs' defense is full of fresh faces with various degrees of experience. Home-field advantage will work in Kansas City's favor, but this Broncos team is tough as nails, and I don't expect such a competent team to struggle with crowd noise. In the end, I'll predict a 23-17 victory for Denver in a game that the Broncos lead wire-to-wire.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos vs. Chiefs: 5 things Denver fans should know about KC
