ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos will kick off their 2026 season in prime time.
Denver will travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs on "Monday Night Football" in Week 1, the NFL announced Tuesday. The game will air on Monday, Sept. 14 at 6:15 p.m. MT on ABC/ESPN.
The matchup will feature the two franchises who have won the last 16 combined AFC West titles. In 2025, the Broncos snapped the Chiefs' nine-year AFC West run, as Denver posted a 14-3 record to earn the No. 1 seed.
A season ago, the Broncos earned their first sweep over the Chiefs since 2014. Denver has won four of the last five games in the series, including last year's Christmas Day prime-time win at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Broncos' win in Kansas City was their first road victory against the Chiefs since 2015.
The Broncos are 3-0 on "Monday Night Football" since the start of Head Coach Sean Payton's tenure in 2023. Denver earned a 28-3 win over the Bengals in the team's only "Monday Night Football" game of the 2025 season.
The Broncos will begin their season in prime time for the first time since 2022. Denver has started its season on "Monday Night Football" on 10 occasions and will have played on "Monday Night Football" in 34 of the past 35 seasons.
The Broncos' complete 2026 schedule will be announced on Thursday, May 14 at 5:30 p.m. MT.
[Editor's note: This story was updated Tuesday afternoon following the NFL's announcement of the game's location.]
