The Chiefs’ season opener comes with a little extra wait, but Monday night at Arrowhead finally brings the matchup national experts have been sizing up all week: Denver at Kansas City, with kickoff set for 7:15 p.m. on KMBC (Ch. 9) and ESPN in Kansas City. ESPN2 will carry the “ManningCast.”
And when 67 national experts were asked to make a call, the split leaned Denver.
The Broncos got the edge from a long list of analysts across the major outlets, while Kansas City still drew plenty of support in what looks like one of the tighter Week 1 picks on the board.
Among the Chiefs backers, Sporting News’ Bill Bender went with a 26-20 Kansas City win. He pointed to “Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back from a torn ACL - and it’s a tough matchup against Denver - which led the NFL with 68 sacks last season. The return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and the addition of running back Kenneth Walker III should help - and Denver is 4-2 S/U against the Chiefs under Sean Payton.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also picked Kansas City, 20-17, writing: “It won’t be easy and they may need a few jump balls from the football gods, but it just feels like a great way for the Chiefs to turn the page on a surprisingly poor 2025 showing.”
At NFL.com, the Broncos took three of five picks. Jeremy Bergman called it 23-16 Denver, Dan Parr had 23-21, and Bobby Kownack went 22-21 Broncos.
Gennaro Filice picked the Chiefs, 19-17, and Brooke Cersosimo had Kansas City, 23-20. Bergman framed the game around the questions hanging over both teams: “There is so much intrigue going into this Week 1 finale that I’m almost embarrassed by my curiosity with the most overexposed NFL franchise of the past half-decade.
But that’s what Patrick Mahomes does. His absence magnifies his presence.
Could he actually be all the way back from last year’s devastating knee injury? Was 2025 the fluke of flukes or a harbinger of something worse to come for Andy Reid and friends?
Similarly for Denver, is Bo Nix all healed and ready to take Mahomes’ mantle as king of the division? Or was his first year atop the West an illusion of how things could be?
Monday night won’t provide definitive answers, but it should feature solid if unremarkable play for both sides.”
CBS Sports leaned Broncos as well, with five of seven writers taking Denver. Jared Dubin, John Breech, Tyler Sullivan, Dave Richard and Jamey Eisenberg all picked the Broncos, while Pete Prisco and Ryan Wilson sided with the Chiefs.
Prisco’s 20-17 Kansas City pick came with this note: “This will be Patrick Mahomes in his first start since tearing his ACL. How limited will he be?
It won’t help he’s facing one of the best defenses in the league. The Chiefs will counter with a young defense that will try and slow down a good Denver offense.
At home, I think they do it. Mahomes wins it late.”
USA Today was unanimous for Denver. Jarrett Bell picked a 27-23 Broncos win, Nick Brinkerhoff had 26-23, Chris Bumbaca went 24-21, Nate Davis chose 27-20, Andy Kaufman picked 17-14 and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz had 27-17.
ESPN’s 11 experts were split, but Denver held the majority. Jeremy Fowler, Kalyn Kahler, Moses Moody, Pamela Maldonado, Benjamin Solak and Seth Wickersham picked the Broncos, while Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Jason Reid, Dan Graziano and Lindsey Thiry went with Kansas City.
The Broncos were also the choice of five of the seven Sports Illustrated writers: Albert Breer, Eva Geitheim, Mitch Goldich, Gilberto Manzano and Conor Orr. Mike Kadlick, John Pluym and Matt Verderame picked the Chiefs.
Bleacher Report followed the same pattern, with five of seven writers going Denver. Gary Davenport, Kris Knox, Moe Moton, Brent Sobleski and Brad Gagnon picked the Broncos, while Ian Hanford and Wes O’Donnell went with Kansas City.
The Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi forecast a 23-20 Denver win, writing: “The Chiefs are coming off their first losing season under Andy Reid and they’ll need Mahomes at his best to return to power in the AFC West. But he’s facing one of the NFL’s best defenses led by 2024 AP Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain and All-Pro Zach Allen.
Bo Nix returns for the Broncos after an ankle injury forced him to miss the AFC championship game, a loss to New England. Denver has won three in a row in the series and four of five after losing 16 straight.”
Arizona Republic writer Jeremy Cluff went with Kansas City, 27-24, noting: “Sean Payton holds a 7-4 coaching record against Andy Reid, but Reid has had an entire offseason to get ready for this game. This one could be very interesting.”
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 🡒]