Mahomes and Nix Return to Face Off in Monday Night AFC West Showdown

In the final game of Week 1, the Kansas City Chiefs host division rival Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football."

Kansas City enters this game coming off a dreadful season, having gone just 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Chiefs had won the division in each of the previous nine seasons before slumping to third place in the AFC West last year. And all of that was just the appetizer for the biggest blow, which was Patrick Mahomes suffering a torn ACL toward the end of the year. Mahomes is back for this game, though, and the Chiefs are out to reclaim their place at the top of the division.

The team that stole their spot, of course, is Monday night's opponent. The Broncos raced to a 14-3 record in 2025, claiming the No. 1 seed in the AFC along the way. They made a trip to the AFC title game, only to fall short against the New England Patriots in a game they played without starting quarterback Bo Nix , who suffered a broken ankle in the team's previous game. Nix is back in action for this game, though, and will look to shut the door on Kansas City's efforts to retake the division.

Will the Chiefs win in Mahomes' return to the lineup, or will the Broncos pull off the upset on the road? We'll find out soon enough. But before we break down some key storylines, here's a look at how you can watch the game.

Where to watch Chiefs vs. Broncos live

- Date: Monday, Sept. 14 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET - Location: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) - TV: ESPN/ABC | Streaming: Fubo ( try for free ) - Follow: CBS Sports App - Odds: Chiefs -2.5, O/U 43.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

Patrick Mahomes returns

Mahomes finished last season with a career-low 62.7% completion rate, and he averaged only 7.1 yards per attempt. His 22 touchdown passes were a career low as well. He propped up the Chiefs' offense with the best rushing season of his career, however, running for 422 yards and five scores. He's already said he won't run as often in his return from an ACL tear, so the Chiefs will need him to get back to being a more efficient passer in order to have success offensively.

Bo Nix back

Nix heads into Year 3 having thrown for at least 3,700 yards and 25 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons. He went 10-7 as a rookie and 14-3 as a sophomore, with the Broncos sporting one of the league's better supporting casts and an elite defense. He's reportedly full strength in his return from the ankle injury, but we'll see how much it affects his mobility, as he routinely runs (he had 80-plus rushing attempts in his first two seasons) or makes plays outside the structure of the offense.

Kenneth Walker III , Jaylen Waddle in new digs

The Chiefs had one of the least explosive running games in the NFL over the past couple of years, with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt leading the way. To rectify the issue, they went out and signed Walker, one of the league's best big-play backs, to a three-year, $43 million contract to carry the load next to Mahomes in the backfield. Walker has been in a timeshare for most of his career, but is expected to be the full-on lead back in Kansas City.

Jaylen Waddle played second fiddle to Tyreek Hill in Miami for most of the last four seasons, but now he'll likely be Nix's top target in Denver. The Broncos surrendered first-, third- and fourth-round picks to the Dolphins in exchange for Waddle and a fourth-rounder, and he should operate as the primary option in Sean Payton's passing attack — a role that has been extremely fruitful in previous seasons. Waddle brings an element of speed that none of the Broncos' other receivers can match, and he'll test Kansas City's secondary on Monday night.

Josh Simmons injury

The Chiefs' left tackle is out for the Monday night game, leaving Kansas City to start undrafted rookie Khalil Benson on Mahomes' blind side. That's a dangerous proposition against a Denver pass rush that is one of the most fearsome in the NFL. That's especially true with Mahomes expected to be limited in mobility as he works his way back from the torn ACL. The Chiefs will have to mix in the run and the screen game to keep Denver's rush off balance.

Jonathan Cooper absence

Denver's pass rusher was placed on the commissioner's exempt list in the wake of a pair of domestic violence incidents that occurred this summer . He faces a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation and three misdemeanors, including violating a protection order.

Kansas City's defensive rookies

The Chiefs drafted three defensive players with their first three picks in the 2026 NFL Draft : cornerback Mansoor Delane of LSU, defensive tackle Peter Woods of Clemson and edge rusher R Mason Thomas of Oklahoma. In the wake of several losses in the secondary ( Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson chief among them), Delane will play a significant role right away. Woods and Thomas are likely to be complementary pieces up front, but the Chiefs will need them all to contribute against this Broncos offense.

Prediction

I'm excited to see what Mahomes looks like in his first game back from injury, but something tells me it could be tough sledding against one of the best defenses in the NFL. I think the Chiefs will have to lean into their Walker-led running game, and it remains to be seen how effective that attack will be. I'm not the biggest Nix fan in the world, but the Broncos offense has undeniably been effective with him at the helm, and I think they have enough to get it done against the Chiefs in Week 1.

Pick:  Broncos 21, Chiefs 20

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chiefs-vs-broncos-where-to-watch-odds-prediction/)._