The Broncos are walking into their Week 1 matchup with Kansas City in a better spot than the Chiefs, and that edge starts with availability. Denver is expected to have all of its projected starters ready for the first Monday Night Football game of the 2026 NFL season, while Kansas City has already ruled out two important pieces.
Josh Simmons, the Chiefs’ starting tackle and best tackle, will not play, and safety Chamarri Conner is also out. Kansas City announced Saturday afternoon that both players were ruled out for Monday night against Denver.
That puts immediate pressure on a Chiefs offense that may have to protect Patrick Mahomes behind a tackle pairing of Kahlil Benson and Jaylon Moore. With Simmons unavailable, Denver’s pass rush has a chance to attack the edge, and Nik Bonitto is the name that jumps out. Bonitto usually lines up across from the left tackle, which makes this a spot where the Broncos can try to create early problems for an offensive line that already looks vulnerable at tackle.
Kansas City’s best answer may be to get the ball out quickly and lean on the run game. At the moment, that seems like the most practical way to blunt Denver’s front. Neutralizing the Broncos’ rush was no easy task in 2025, and with the Chiefs putting together what looks like a below-average tackle situation, the pressure on Mahomes could come fast.
The other absence matters just as much on the back end. Conner was a steady piece for Kansas City in 2025, finishing with two passes defended, two sacks, and 117 total tackles. Without him, the Chiefs’ secondary looks thinner, and Denver should be able to test that group.
Kansas City is now trending toward a defensive backfield that includes rookie Mansoor Delane, L'Jarius Sneed, Alohi Gilman, and Jaden Hicks. That’s a group without a clear high-end player, and it opens the door for Bo Nix and a Broncos passing attack that now has more weapons after the major offseason trade for Jaylen Waddle.
For Denver, that kind of matchup could be exactly what keeps Week 1 from turning messy. Early-season games often favor the defense, but the Broncos should feel good about where their unit stands, especially with so much continuity already in place.
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