The Chiefs head into Monday’s opener with a lot hanging over them already. Kansas City is trying to rebound from its worst season in over a decade, and the first test comes against a Broncos team that knocked the Chiefs off the AFC West throne last year and finished 14-3. With inconsistencies from 2025 still fresh and injuries already shaping Week 1, this one feels like more than a typical season opener.
If Kansas City wants to leave Monday with the right kind of start, the path is pretty clear: get the ground game moving, attack the right spots in Denver’s secondary, and make life uncomfortable for Bo Nix.
The run game has to be part of the plan from the jump. Kansas City leaned too hard away from it in 2025, and the offseason answer was Kenneth Walker, the team’s prized free-agent pickup and Super Bowl MVP.
Behind Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey, the Chiefs have one of the best interior run-blocking duos in football, and that pairing should be a central feature early. Patrick Mahomes has never had a 1,000-yard running back, and with 2026 underway, the need for help on the ground feels even sharper.
That matters even more with Mahomes coming off the worst injury of his football career and new left tackle Kahlil Benson making his NFL debut. Starting with the run can ease both of those pressure points while also helping slow Denver’s pass rush.
Kansas City should also be looking to challenge Riley Moss. Patrick Surtain may be the Broncos’ top corner and one of the hardest matchups in football, but Moss had a rough 2025, especially on underneath routes.
Denver plays a lot of man coverage and brings an aggressive approach, and Moss can give too much cushion to keep from getting beaten over the top. That opens the door for Chiefs receivers like Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton to test him early.
On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs have enough in their revamped secondary to lean into man coverage of their own. Mansoor Delane, L'Jarius Sneed, and Nohl Williams give Kansas City one of the better man-to-man groups in football, and Steve Spagnuolo can trust that unit early.
The wrinkle is Bo Nix’s legs. If the Chiefs’ defensive backs turn and run with their assignments, Nix can find room to escape and create.
If that starts to become an issue, Nick Bolton or Felix Anudike-Uzomah could be used as a spy to keep him in check.
The pass rush plan matters just as much. Denver’s offensive line does a good job protecting Nix, but Ben Powers, the left guard, stands out as the spot Kansas City should try to attack.
He has had trouble with stunt rushes from stronger defensive ends, and that gives the Chiefs a chance to create quick pressure. Chris Jones is slightly banged up, but Kansas City could still align him over Powers and let George Karlaftis loop in behind him.
That kind of action could also free up Peter Woods or R. Mason Thomas to win one-on-one matchups.
If the stunts hit, the Chiefs can force Nix off his spot early and keep him from settling into the game.
In Other News...
Chiefs Broadcast Sparked A Debate ESPN Probably Knew Was Coming
During ESPNs Monday Night Football coverage of the Chiefs-Broncos game, sideline reporter Laura Rutledge explained why Denver defender Jonathon Cooper was not available, noting that he is on the commissioners exempt list after two June arrests tied to domestic violence charges. It was the kind of in-game update that can quickly shift from routine availability news into something much heavier, especially on a stage as visible as a Chiefs game in prime time.
Former Broncos safety Justin Simmons later criticized ESPN for bringing up Coopers legal situation during the broadcast, while others pushed back and said the network was simply giving viewers context for his absence. For Kansas City fans watching an AFC West opponent unfold on the national stage, the episode became part of a broader debate over how broadcasters should handle player controversies when the game itself is still very much in front of them. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Secondary Gets A Timely Reunion With Bigger Implications
The Chiefs added a familiar name to their taxi squad after their Week 1 win, bringing cornerback Melvin Smith Jr. back into the fold. Smith had been on the Titans 53-man roster earlier, but after being waived and going unclaimed, he found his way back to Kansas City, where the team already knows what it is getting in terms of familiarity and fit.
Kansas City has not announced any corresponding roster move to make room for Smith on the practice squad, which leaves a small bit of roster housekeeping still unresolved. Even so, the return of a player with that kind of team context is the sort of quiet transaction that can matter later, especially for a secondary that always has to be ready for attrition over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Andy Reid Dug Deep For A Chiefs Touchdown Fans Didn't See Coming
For a Week 1 team still settling into the rhythm of a new season, Andy Reid reached way back to add something fresh to the Kansas City offense. The Chiefs coach put Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields on the field together in a look few fans would have expected, then turned to a play concept that dates back to the 1930s and was brought back into the conversation by longtime ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman. Kansas City studied old film to learn the design, then carried it onto the field and cashed in with a touchdown by Kenneth Walker.
It was the sort of wrinkle Reid can pull when he wants to keep a defense guessing, and it gave the Chiefs another reminder that the playbook does not always have to stay in the present tense. The Heisman look worked in the game, but it also left open a bigger question for opponents: if Kansas City is willing to dust off something this unusual in September, what else might Reid have tucked away for later? [Read more 🡒]