The Broncos are heading into Monday Night Football with a clean bill of health, while Kansas City has already ruled out two starters for the season opener.
Denver and the Chiefs are set to open the season in a classic AFC West spotlight game, and both teams put out their final injury reports on Saturday. For the Broncos, the news is simple: everyone is good to go. All 53 players on the active roster practiced this week and are cleared for the game.
That includes Mims, who had been on the practice report all week because of the foot injury he picked up in the preseason finale. He was a full participant every day, and now he’s fully cleared for Monday night.
Mims is listed unofficially at the top of one of Denver’s three wide receiver depth charts, alongside Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. That doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed the biggest role among the No. 3 receivers, but it does mean he’ll be part of the rotation.
There’s plenty riding on the season for Mims, too. He’s in a contract year, and after his playoff heroics last season - when he led the Broncos in receiving - he appears to have finally earned the staff’s trust.
He also remains one of the league’s best return men, the kind of player who can flip a game the second he touches the ball. Given how little he played during the summer and preseason, Monday night should finally give him a chance to get rolling.
Kansas City’s injury report tells a different story. Jones showed up Friday with a calf issue, didn’t practice Saturday, but is still listed as a full go for Monday night. The Chiefs also seem to be handling Sneed carefully; he was a full participant Thursday and Friday before being limited Saturday with a knee injury.
Mahomes has been expected all along, and that hasn’t changed. He’ll be back against Denver after the multi-ligament knee injury he suffered in Week 15 last season, and the Broncos will prepare for him the same way they always do.
The Chiefs will, however, be missing two starters - one on offense and one on defense. Simmons, their starting left tackle, has been ruled out.
That leaves undrafted rookie Khalil Benson in line to start at left tackle in Mahomes’s first game back. Benson played exclusively on the right side in college, which makes that matchup especially interesting for Denver’s pass rush.
Nik Bonitto, start your engine.
The other absence is Conner, one of Kansas City’s starting safeties alongside Alohi Gilman. With Conner sidelined, Jaden Hicks and/or Chris Roland-Wallace should see more snaps.
That setup gives Bo Nix and the Broncos a chance to attack Kansas City’s secondary, while Jones remains the Chiefs’ biggest concern up front if he’s not fully right. Even with the calf issue, he’s still the same perennial Pro Bowler who tends to bring his best stuff when Denver is on the other sideline.
In Other News...
Broncos May Have A D-Line Breakout Fans Need To Watch
Eyioma Uwazurike is making a quiet case to be one of the more interesting Broncos defensive linemen to watch as the season approaches. Entering his fourth NFL year, he is coming off career highs in tackles and sacks, and by all indications he has carried that momentum into a strong offseason and training camp, which gives Denver a possible interior option worth monitoring closely.
For a Broncos defense that is always looking for steady pressure up front, a leap from Uwazurike would matter. The AFC West picture also adds to the backdrop, with Patrick Mahomes working to be ready for Week 1 after his ACL injury and the Raiders already sorting out a young starter in Treydan Stukes, but Denver's best chance to gain an edge may come from players like Uwazurike turning a promising stretch into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Still Weighing A Linebacker Concern Before Chiefs Opener
With the Chiefs opener looming, the Broncos are still sorting through one of the quieter roster questions on the defensive side. Denver worked out three linebackers recently in Cameron Goode, Elliott Brown and Jahfari Harvey, a sign the team is continuing to scan the market for help as it gets ready for a game that will demand every available piece.
The starting inside linebackers are not the issue, but depth and special teams value remain part of the conversation. At this stage, the Broncos are evaluating who might fit best as a practice squad addition and who can handle the physical, detail-heavy work that travels well into a division matchup like this one. [Read more 🡒]
JK Dobbins Has A Chance To Justify Denver's Bet In Week 1
The Broncos decision to bring back JK Dobbins gives them a familiar, if complicated, answer in the backfield as they head into the season opener. Dobbins has the kind of track record that makes teams believe in the upside, even with the injury history hanging over the conversation, and Denver is banking on the version of him that flashed real impact before he got hurt last year.
Week 1 also brings a direct comparison with a marquee opponent, since the Chiefs are planning to lean on Kenneth Walker after making a major commitment to reshape their rushing attack. Walker arrives with a hefty deal and the weight of expectations, while Dobbins gets a chance to show Denver its bet can pay off right away in a game where both backs could say plenty about where their teams are headed. [Read more 🡒]