The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football to kick off the 2026 NFL season.

This game will mark Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s third game at Arrowhead Stadium. His first appearance in 2024 ended in a 14-16 loss. He threw for 215 yards, two touchdown passes, and was sacked twice. It came down to Leo Chenal blocking a field goal at the end of the game.

In his second appearance at Arrowhead in Week 17 of 2025, Nix faced a Patrick Mahomes-less team. Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury weeks prior. Nix actually had his worst performance against KC in that game. He threw for 182 yards, one touchdown, and one interception; he was sacked once. Nix averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt, but the Chiefs didn’t have the horses to win that game due to injuries.

All in all, Nix has a 1-1 record at Arrowhead Stadium. He’s yet to beat a Patrick Mahomes-led team in Kansas City. Now he’ll be tasked with doing that under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football” in primetime.

While Nix’s performances at Arrowhead look fairly average on the surface, his full body of work across four matchups against the Chiefs as a starting quarterback paints a different picture. Nix has completed 98 of 134 passes (73%) for 1,013 yards, seven touchdowns, and a single interception. His best performance came in Week 18 of 2024, with the Chiefs sitting all of their starters on the road. Still, it’s clear Steve Spagnuolo’s defense lacks a signature game against Nix. They’re hoping that Week 1 can be exactly that.

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo wants his defense to know what Nix has done to them

Ahead of the upcoming matchup, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo wants his team to know that Nix has had their number. He wants them to understand what he thinks heading into the Week 1 contest.

“I don’t think I’ve played a defensive coordinator five times yet really in my life,” Nix said this week. “So I feel he’s going to have many, many bags of tricks. He’s going to have a lot thrown at us, but I feel like at least I can see it a little bit. I’ve seen a lot of their structure, and I’ve gotten more and more comfortable.”

It’s clear that Nix feels he has some advantage in his familiarity with Spagnuolo and his success to this point. It’s a new year, a new season, and a team. Spagnuolo told reporters this week flat-out that they haven’t been able to defend against Nix. He even showed his defense that Nix has the best PFF grade against the Chiefs’ defense of any quarterback they’ve played at least four times.

“Yeah, I’m not sure we’ve been able to defend him that well,” Spagnuolo said. “I looked at a PFF slide, and I think he, of all the quarterbacks we’ve gone against, has been the most successful. So, I flashed that up. That was up there, but that’s a credit to him and the system and what they do. I think he’s a terrific football player. I think he’s in the perfect system. You know, he’s with the perfect coaches working with him, and I think he’s really kind of done that his whole career. He’s scary to go with because he’s one of those guys that you can do everything right, and he can make you look bad because he can get out of trouble with his feet.”

The hope is that the players will feel some sense of pride and obligation to change that. He also knows the coaching staff has to prepare the team. They worked to simplify the defensive playbook for Week 1, so guys can play and start faster. Spagnuolo is also on the lookout for Nix and his ability to scramble and pick up yardage with his legs. That alone can upend the best defensive game plan.

Can the Kansas City Chiefs’ revamped defense rise to the challenge?

There’s a lot on the line in this game for the Chiefs. Perhaps the biggest test for Kansas City’s defense will be coming together as a revamped unit featuring a lot of young players and forcing a poor performance out of Nix. The Chiefs made significant changes to their defense this offseason. Week 1 against Denver will be the first real test of those moves.

Can the young and new players on the defensive side of the ball come together and gel quickly with so much on the line? Free-agent acquisitions like defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman will need to contribute right away. The same goes for the players Kansas City spent draft capital on in the first two rounds, including cornerback Mansoor Delane, defensive tackle Peter Woods, and edge rusher R. Mason Thomas.

“Listen, other coaches have said it, and I feel the same,” Spagnuolo said. “It might take the first month; that’s four games. I guess we’re going to have the bye (week) into it; it may take that (long) to figure out exactly. Now, you just hope that while you’re figuring it out, you’re finding a way to win some games. Because you don’t want to be behind the eight ball after the first month. But I think that’s real.”

The truth is that Nix has earned some respect through his performances against this defense. Four starts, a 73% completion rate, seven touchdowns, and just one interception is a strong resume. Spagnuolo knows it, and he wants his players to know it, too. The question is whether that awareness translates into a better defensive game plan and sharper execution when the lights come on Monday night.

One thing that might work to their advantage? The Broncos have a first-time offensive play-caller in OC Davis Webb. It’s still the same offense, but it operates through a different lens. Regardless, the Chiefs can’t afford a slow defensive start. They need to show the Broncos’ offense that they can’t simply waltz into Arrowhead Stadium and execute without pushback. They need that signature showing against Nix that they’ve lacked so far.