Fans inside Broncos Country are counting down the days until they can see the Denver Broncos take the field in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. The players are just as excited to get the season going.
The Broncos will open the season on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that will be played on Monday Night Football on Sept. 14. Though it will require a little more patience from fans since most teams are opening their seasons on Sunday, the opportunity to play in front of a national audience is not afforded to every team.
The league sees the rivalry between the Broncos and Chiefs as a great way to open the season with a marquee matchup. The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, and it will feature the return of Patrick Mahomes
after a torn ACL and LCL ended his 2025 season, but the Broncos are also the team that won the most games in the AFC last year, setting the stage for a heavyweight fight.
Broncos players are pumped to play on Monday night
Some of the top players on the Broncos' roster gave their thoughts on playing in this game. When asked on Wednesday if it never gets old playing on MNF, Bo Nix had this to say:
“Absolutely, it doesn’t get old. It’s very exciting. It means that you are in a really good spot as an organization, but it’s also a great responsibility. You get put on Monday Night Football in Week 1, it means you have something to go out there and prove. We’re excited as a team. It’s going to be a really big challenge, but one that we are going to respond well to. We just have to go out there and play really hard.”
Nix's favorite target through two seasons, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, feels the same way.
“Honestly, at the end of the day, it’s exciting to be able to have the opportunity to open up the season, Monday Night Football, all the games are going to be done, college is done, everyone’s played Sunday, Sunday night’s done," Sutton said. "The only game that’s going to be on is Chiefs-Broncos, and that’s what’s exciting. … It’s a privilege to be able to open up the season on Monday Night Football. They don’t just hand that out to anybody. I think that it speaks volumes to where our organization is getting back to and where people view the Broncos. I’m looking forward to watching the boys go out there, us and the boys go out there and put on a show for everyone on Monday Night Football.”
Despite it being Week 1, this will be one of the most important games the Broncos will play all season. Going back to what Nix said about having something to prove, that is really the top storyline to build up this game. The Broncos will be looking to prove that their 14-win season last year was not a fluke, while the Chiefs will be playing with a chip on their shoulder, looking to regain their status as top dogs after a horrendous 2025 campaign.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos players excited to open the season on MNF: ‘It’s a privilege’
