Chiefs vs. Broncos live updates: Patrick Mahomes makes his return on ‘Monday Night Football’

The final battle of Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season is a big one, a divisional battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.

Patrick Mahomes is back from a torn ACL in Week 15 of the 2025 season. The Chiefs' offensive line will have its work cut out against Denver's defense, and with Mahomes coming off an injury, the Broncos could pose a problem. The three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback will be without left tackle Josh Simmons, and the Broncos defense will be without pass rusher Jonathan Cooper, who is on the commissioner's exempt list in the wake of a pair of domestic violence incidents that took place this summer.

Mahomes' mobility will look different, with less running, so he will need to fix his career-worst 62.7% completion percentage from last season.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is back from the broken ankle suffered in last year's NFL Playoffs. The former No. 12 overall pick made some preseason appearances, but this will be the real test. Like Mahomes, Nix likes to run the ball but may need to adjust his approach given it's his first game back from injury.

The Chiefs' secondary has improved year-over-year…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/