Patrick Mahomes is good to go for the season opener against the Broncos

It’s officially happening. The battle of the broken quarterbacks is set for “Monday Night Football.”

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed on Tuesday that Patrick Mahomes will take the field against the Denver Broncos in the Week 1 season opener on September 14 at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in a December 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last season. And after nine months of grueling rehabilitation, the three-time Super Bowl champion is cleared to play.

Nine months removed from tearing his ACL and LCL, Patrick Mahomes is set to start Monday night vs. the Broncos, per Chiefs HC Andy Reid. pic.twitter.com/zR2EZ8LP6R

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2026

Mahomes didn’t take a single snap during the preseason. Not one. He’ll be walking into a live NFL game for the first time since that December afternoon, under the lights, against a Broncos defense that ranked among the best in football last year and has only gotten deeper.

Denver’s franchise quarterback, Bo Nix, went through his own recovery journey this offseason. He broke his ankle in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills back in January, underwent surgery, had a follow-up procedure to remove bone spurs in the spring and worked his way back through training camp. He returned to game action in the preseason against the Packers and looked sharp, going 6-of-9 on passes, and recording 76 yards, a touchdown and a 129.9 passer rating.

The Broncos are entering the game as 2.0-point underdogs. On paper, that’s about right for a road game at Arrowhead on Monday night. But the context around this matchup makes Denver a very real threat to steal this one.

The Chiefs are on the wrong side of their dynasty’s timeline. After a dismal 2025 campaign that ended with Mahomes on the sideline and no playoff appearance, Kansas City is trying to prove they can still compete at the highest level. Mahomes himself acknowledged the urgency at the team’s annual Kickoff Luncheon, promising “a new version of the Chiefs” that will dominate the way the old one did.

Meanwhile, the Broncos have never looked better under Sean Payton. They went 14-3 last season, won the AFC West, reached the AFC Championship Game, and spent the offseason adding Jaylen Waddle and rookie Jonah Coleman to an already loaded roster. Payton has said once again that this is one of the teams he’s coached that has a genuine shot at winning the Super Bowl.

The stage is set. Two franchises. Two quarterbacks who spent the offseason fighting back from devastating injuries. One game under the Monday night lights at 6:15 p.m. MT.

Broncos Country has been waiting for this one since January. The wait is almost over.

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