One might think that coming off a 14-3 regular-season record, No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs, and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game, the Denver Broncos might be somewhat highly regarded in 2026.
According to the oddsmakers, they’re an afterthought.
Despite bringing back almost the entire roster from last season, DraftKings has the Broncos with the 3rd-best odds (+225) to win the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs (+160) and Los Angeles Chargers (+190).
The Broncos snapped the Chiefs’ 9-year AFC West Division championship streak in 2025 and open the season against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in a Monday Night Football showdown to cap Week 1 of the NFL regular season.
All Eyes on Arrowhead Stadium in Week 1
All eyes in the football world will be on the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs when they square off on Monday Night Football in Week 1 — the final game in a blockbuster opening week that kicks off the previous Wednesday.
The Broncos and Chiefs also have something else really important in common as they begin the long, slow march toward kickoff on September 14 at Arrowhead Stadium. They both have quarterbacks coming off serious injuries, and neither team can say exactly when they’ll be back.
For the Broncos, 3rd-year quarterback Bo Nix is coming off a fractured ankle he suffered in an overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.
Originally projected to keep him out 4-6 weeks, Nix now seems like he’ll be back in action for the 1st time at training camp.
The biggest question hanging over the game is singular — will Chiefs quarterback and 2-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes play or not?
Mahomes certainly seems determined to be on the field after tearing his ACL in Week 15 of the 2025 regular season, and seems more determined by who the Chiefs are playing after the Broncos ended Kansas City’s 9-year reign atop the AFC West Division in 2025.
It was the 1st major injury of Mahomes’ already-legendary career, which includes 3 Super Bowl wins and 2 more Super Bowl appearances.
“That’s my goal,” Mahomes told Yahoo Sports on July 15. “I’ve said that since the beginning is being ready to go Week 1. I can’t predict the future and I know that it’s a long process. It’s not just my decision, but at the same time I’m going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1. I don’t want to miss that game (against the Broncos) because that’s the team that won the division while we were gone and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates. I’ll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1 and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light and I’m able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league.”
MNF Game Testament to Chiefs Box-Office Draw
The Chiefs have been the NFL’s elite box-office draw ever since Mahomes became the full-time starter in 2018 — his 1st NFL MVP season. In his 8 seasons as the starter, they’ve played in 5 Super Bowls and advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the 1st 7 seasons.
The NFL scheduling the Chiefs in the Monday Night Football season opener is not only a testament to Mahomes but to the rising profile of the Broncos, who went 14-3 in 2025, snapped the Chiefs’ 9-year streak of AFC West Division titles, and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs.
The Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2014.
“I wholeheartedly believe the Chiefs are no longer a threat to the Broncos,” Denver Broncos 365 wrote on X on May 12. “I think the tides have completely turned. Bo Nix will have a better career at this point going forward than Mahomes. We were the champs last year, and that won’t change. Bookmark this.”
Major Disrespect for Broncos in Latest AFC West Division Odds