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The Denver Broncos enter the 2026 season with the AFC West title to defend, and their first test comes against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday Night Football. Denver ended its division drought in 2025 by winning the AFC West for the first time since 2015. The Broncos also swept Kansas City last season for the first time since 2014, defeating a healthy Mahomes in Week 11 before winning again on Christmas Day at Arrowhead. Mahomes did not play in that game after suffering two torn knee ligaments in Week 15. Despite last season's success, head coach Sean Payton is not approaching the opener as though the Chiefs will be anything less than their best. Denver devoted around half of Wednesday's practice to getting an early start on preparations for Kansas City. “You've seen enough things, where, he's going to be 100 percent,” Payton said of Mahomes. “And we're preparing for his best. We know how talented he is.” Sean Payton will have the Broncos ready for Mahomes at full-strength 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vFR68Er2Rk — KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (@KOAColorado) September 2, 2026 The matchup will be the fourth official head-to-head meeting between Mahomes and Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. Nix enters the game with a 2-1 record against Mahomes. Denver, however, has never defeated a Mahomes-led Chiefs team at Arrowhead. The Broncos came close in 2024, when Kansas City escaped after Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal blocked Wil Lutz's potential game-winning field goal as time expired. Denver also know Kansas City has made plenty of changes. The Chiefs added Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III and rebuilt their running back group with rookies Emmett Johnson and Jaydn Ott. Mahomes will also have 11-time Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, back-to-back first-team All-Pro center Creed Humphrey, and receivers Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton available. The Broncos defense will have to account for Kansas City's play-action attack. Opponents have used play-action to counter Denver's aggressive pass rush, including during the 2026 preseason. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been working on ways to counter that approach, with eye discipline and assignment discipline among important factors. For Payton and the Broncos, the opening-week challenge is about maintaining their internal focus while preparing for one of the league's daunting opponents.