The Kansas City Chiefs got the kind of Week 1 result they wanted in 2026: a division win, a physical showing, and enough encouraging performances to make the new-look offense feel real. But one familiar problem kept showing up in the background, and it could end up costing them if it sticks around.
Special teams was the ugly spot. Kansas City was hit with seven penalties against the Denver Broncos, and four of them came on special teams.
In all, half of the Chiefs’ penalty yards came from those units. For a team trying to build a more physical identity and lean into the run game, that’s the kind of self-inflicted damage that can wreck a drive before the offense even gets started.
This isn’t a one-week issue, either. The Chiefs were flagged 23 times on special teams in 2025, tied for the sixth-most in the league, according to NFL Penalties’ data.
The year before, they had 18 special teams penalties, which tied for fifth-most in 2024. That’s too much yellow for a group that’s supposed to be a steadying force, not a source of hidden-yardage problems.
Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub carries real weight in roster decisions, and his influence has shown up in the way Kansas City has kept veterans around who have logged plenty of special teams snaps for him over the last few years. Even so, the unit has been too penalty-prone at the worst times. Some of the players who’ve been considered special teams standouts have still been burned by costly mistakes.
The trend has been especially noticeable since 2024. Jack Cochrane, who became a nice UDFA success story for Kansas City, has been flagged for holding too often in the kick return phase.
Punt returns have also been a problem, with penalties showing up there at least a couple of times after a defensive stop on Monday against Denver. Harrison Butker even had awkward kickoff penalties in 2025.
That matters because this offense is built to work within the margins. The Chiefs are trying to play more balanced football this season, with more emphasis on the backfield and more mass at the line of scrimmage, in-line, and even in the backfield. Patrick Mahomes is still getting back to full comfort as a passer while knocking off the rust from injury, and the wide receiver room remains limited.
There’s still room for the passing game to grow, and Kansas City does want to add more creativity there as the season moves along. But if special teams keeps handing back yardage, the offense will have to be sharper just to stay on schedule. The Chiefs can’t keep starting drives from bad spots and expect that to be sustainable.
If Kansas City wants this new offensive approach to really take hold, the path is pretty clear: cut down the special teams penalties and give the offense better starting points. Otherwise, the same old mistakes could keep undercutting the progress the Chiefs are trying to build.
In Other News...
Travis Kelce Shared A Tom Cruise Detail Chiefs Fans Will Love
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Travis also gave listeners a lighter family moment, sharing how his nieces first addressed Taylor Swift by her full name before being coached to call her Aunt Tay Tay. Between the celebrity guest tease and the personal anecdote, it was one of those episodes that reminded Chiefs fans how much attention now follows nearly every part of Kelces world, on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Are Suddenly Tied To A Steelers Trade Rumor Worth Watching
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For Kansas City, any whisper involving a young, high-upside defensive back is worth at least a look, especially this early in the year when teams are still taking stock of their depth and long-term needs. The reports remain speculative and nothing has been confirmed by either team, but Porters status is suddenly one of those league storylines that could linger if the contract talks stay stalled. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Kelce Is Suddenly Tied To A Strange Off-Field Legal Case
A federal fraud case in Missouri has ended with a steep prison sentence for Sid Jawahar, who was convicted of running a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. Among the victims named in the case was Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, a surprising footnote in a story that had nothing to do with football but still landed on the radar of Kansas City fans.
Jawahar pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with deportation expected after he serves that term. The court filing did not spell out Kelces specific involvement, leaving the Chiefs star tied to the case only as one of the people harmed by the scheme and not as a figure at its center. [Read more 🡒]