When do Broncos play? Denver's first game is last to start NFL season

The 2026 NFL season kicks off with midweek games that include a Super Bowl rematch and an NFC West showdown.

That means the Denver Broncos‘ season is almost here. Just maybe not as close as many fans might like.

It’s an anticipated year for the Broncos after earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed and hosting the AFC Championship Game in the 2025 season.

That anticipation will build even more, because Denver and Kansas City will be the last teams to make their season debut in a primetime opener.

Here’s what to know about the Broncos’ first game of the 2026 NFL season:
play their first game?

The Broncos have the last first game of the NFL regular season, playing at the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

Denver at Kansas City is scheduled to kick off at 6:15 p.m. MT (8:15 p.m. ET) on Sept. 14 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Broncos-Chiefs game will be nationally televised on ABC and ESPN, both of which are available to stream on FuboTV and the ESPN App.

Joe Buck has the play-by-play call with Troy Aikman as the color analyst for ESPN. Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge will be the sideline reporters.

The popular ManningCast featuring Peyton and Eli Manning also returns for the first Monday Night Football game of the 2026 season.

The ManningCast for Chiefs-Broncos will air on ESPN2 and the ESPN App.

<

, Bo Nix play in season opener?

Each team’s starting quarterback is coming off significant injuries late in the 2025 season.

Will they play in this Week 1 game of 2026?

Kansas City coach Andy Reid said Mahomes is expected to start vs. Denver despite being just nine months removed from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee last December.

Nix fractured his right ankle late in a January playoff win vs. the Bills and required surgery in January and April.

Nix is also expected to start Week 1 vs. the Chiefs, Broncos coach Sean Payton confirmed to the media.

<

The Chiefs are favored by 3 points over the Broncos and are -150 on the moneyline to win the game outright. The Broncos are slight underdogs at +125 on the moneyline.

The over/under point total for Denver vs. Kansas City is 43.5 points.

Betting odds according to BetMGM as of 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. MT on Sept. 9.

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: When do Broncos play? Denver’s first game is last to start NFL season