Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos are bracing to open the 2026 regular season on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are increasingly looking like they will have two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes under center, despite his recovery from a torn ACL.
Nix is also recovering from an injury, having surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot that sidelined him for the AFC Championship Game.
As both teams look to begin redemption treks of varying degrees, their QBs’ health is key.
Broncos Get Bad News on Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes
GettyPatrick Mahomes could be under center when the Denver Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.
Nix and the Broncos defeated the Mahomes-led Chiefs in Week 11. That was four weeks before he tore his ACL against fellow AFC West club, the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes, naturally, missed the rest of the Chiefs’ season. He was seemingly in jeopardy of missing time in the 2026 campaign. The typical timeline for recovery from a torn ACL, even for professional athletes, is nine to 12 months, per Bass Medical Group.
That timeline would take him into at least Week 2 of this coming season.
However, recent reports have suggested that Mahomes is not only on track to start in Week 1 but that he may be ahead of schedule.
“I’ve talked to a bunch of people surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs right now who said he’s really ahead of schedule. And he’s out there seven to eight hours a day back on the field. He is practicing. You wouldn’t even know, I was told, that he had that surgery. ACL, LCL, just five months ago, which is pretty crazy,” CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson reported on “We Need to Talk” on May 15.
“When you talk about the schedule, Week 1, a huge AFC West matchup between Denver and Kansas City. Both Bo Nix coming off the ankle surgery, and then you have Patrick Mahomes with his injury. And so, will they both be back? Will they be playing in such a pivotal game, Week 1?”
Wolfson joked that NFL Commissioner “Roger Goodell must know something we don’t know.”
Nix is expected to be full-go by training camp in August, and it appears that Mahomes will not be too far behind.
Broncos’ Decision ‘Changes Everything’
GettyThe Denver Broncos’ offense could operate differently in 2026.
Nix and the Broncos have bigger factors to account for than even having to face Mahomes. Mahomes is 13-2 against Denver in his career. They are adjusting to a new playcaller in first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb.
Webb has been with the Broncos for three seasons, first as QB coach before adding passing game coordinator to his title.
He secured the OC role (and playcalling duties) this offseason.
He takes over from Broncos head coach Sean Payton. It is a move that Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan said “changes everything” in Denver.
“Some guys are past game coordinators, some guys are this or that, and quarterback coach or whatever the case may be. But I think one of the positives about Davis Webb is he was a quarterback. He played the quarterback position at a high level,” former Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley said on “Stokely and Evans with Mark Schlereth” on May 16.
“He knows the ins and outs of the run game; he knows the importance of the run game. So, I love the fact that he did play the game; he played the position. I think that’s a big positive for Bo and for the Broncos offense.”
Co-host and fellow three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth agreed.
“A lot of guys get lost in passing game numbers and big plays over the top. And there is a philosophy that you have to have about winning football games, and being physical and winning the line of scrimmage. And those are things that I think sometimes get lost with some guys,” Schlereth said.
“I hope because he was a quarterback, he understands the value of winning the line of scrimmage. Because if you win the line of scrimmage, you’re going to win a lot of football games.”
Broncos Get Significant Update Amid Lingering Bo Nix Question