The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off on September 14 in the opening game of ESPN's "Monday Night Football" schedule for the 2026 season, as announced on Tuesday.
The location of the game has yet to be determined, with the NFL still finalizing details ahead of the full schedule release on Thursday night. Another lingering question is the availability of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during a December loss to the Chargers, ending Kansas City's playoff hopes. Mahomes has stated his goal is to be ready for Week 1.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is expected to be recovered by training camp after breaking a bone in his right ankle during the AFC playoffs in January. Denver ended last season with a loss to New England in the AFC championship game.
Additional matchups will be revealed in the coming days. The trio of games announced on Monday coincided with upfront presentations by NBC, Fox, and Prime Video. The Buffalo Bills will host the Detroit Lions on September 17 in their first regular-season game at their new stadium, kicking off Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" schedule.
The Dallas Cowboys were featured in the other two announcements: they will visit the New York Giants on September 13 for NBC's first "Sunday Night Football" game of the season, and will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.
