The Kansas City Chiefs are set for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, with their game just a week away on “Monday Night Football” against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas City will begin its normal practice week on Thursday, Sept. 10. That session will give us juicy details on injuries, practice, and more leading up to the Week 1 contest. Until then, we’ve only got the past week of practice, plus what we’ve seen in the preseason and training camp to rely upon.

With all that in mind, here are some of the things I think I know about the 2026 Chiefs leading into the season opener.

Patrick Mahomes will be Patrick Mahomes in Week 1 and beyond

People should’ve already learned their lesson about doubting No. 15, but he’ll remind them soon enough. Not only do I expect him to be out on the field for Week 1, but I think he’s going to be at his best. He looked sharp during training camp, and I think the lack of preseason action will only have him amped up for Week 1 like it’s 2018 all over again.

Maybe he won’t have his magical superpower of always being able to be one step faster than the defender chasing him. However, I wouldn’t put it past him that he’ll still use his legs to his advantage. He’s the type of player who isn’t going to shy away from something while he’s on the field. His competitive edge is his real superpower.

I also don’t think the Chiefs will change much to protect Mahomes. Maybe there will be some little nuances, like taking fewer steps in the dropbacks and more under-center passing. They needed more run-pass balance in the offense regardless of his injury. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble navigating the pocket. The deep ball feels like it’ll be more successful off the jump than in recent years. Things feel set up for him to step right back into it all and be the player we’ve known.

The Chiefs have no one but themselves to blame for the Josh Simmons situation

The biggest story in Kansas City leading up to Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season isn’t the recovery of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It’s not that he’ll be ready just nine months after a season-ending knee injury. Instead, the story is about whether starting LT Josh Simmons will play in the opener.

Simmons has dealt with a back injury since late August in training camp and hasn’t practiced since. The reporting around Simmons’ back injury has been less than stellar. It doesn’t matter if he has to sit out Week 1 to be healthy for the rest of the season. Even if he returns to practice on Thursday and plays, it feels as if the damage to his reputation has already been done.

Some of that stems from Simmons’ absence last season and how the team handled it. However, the reporting on the back injury has done more harm than good. It started as a not-so-big-deal back strain. Then there was the “undergoing more tests” report. Andy Reid has indicated that it’s a pain and strength issue. The strangeness around the reporting has led to lots of speculation. Does Simmons truly love football? Is he even truly injured? There’s also the whole Trey Smith situation. Fans believe Smith’s recent comments about playing through injury were some sort of shot or message to Simmons. The reporter who seemed to connect those dots walked it back and apologized just a day after.

If the Chiefs had been straightforward about Simmons’ availability based on the injury and diagnosis, they could have avoided this. Yes, I’m aware the team is not required to report injury-related details until the regular-season injury reports begin this week. However, they’ve done a better job of managing expectations in the past. Maybe the situation is complicated. Maybe there is real uncertainty regarding his status and some gamesmanship involved. However, this all feels avoidable if the team had simply shown more transparency from the jump with this player. Now, they’re in a no-win situation and have to reap what they sowed.

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense will look sharper than it typically does in Week 1

Typically, when you have a lot of changes and new personnel on any side of the ball, it takes time for those pieces to mesh and gel into a cohesive unit. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has traditionally taken time to get into the swing of football once the season starts. However, this season things looked and felt a little different during the preseason.

The Chiefs did not have their full complement of players due to injury. However, the players who were there and starting for Kansas City felt up to the task, especially late in the preseason. That starting unit was locked down and playing against units that were mostly a mishmash of starters and second-stringers.

I was most impressed with their play against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in preseason Week 2. He was just 2-of-4 passing for 10 yards on two drives. It made me feel like this unit can come together quickly, especially in the secondary with all the new pieces. Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams looked like seasoned vets. The safety group has a lot of different options and pieces to choose from.

Even the defensive line, both interior and edge rushers, seemed to be a lot more cohesive as a unit. It feels like they caused more disruption than they have in years past. Though they are dealing with some injuries at edge rusher that could affect that in Week 1. The bottom line is that the defense feels it can be ready much faster for the challenge in the opener.

The running game is going to transform the Chiefs offense, but only if the coaches let it

The Kansas City Chiefs invested heavily in their running game this offseason. A big multi-year contract for Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, a draft pick in running back Emmett Johnson, bringing back Eric Bieniemy, and bringing in DeMarco Murray as running backs coach to really make things more run-focused.

The effectiveness of the run game all comes down to the play caller. Chiefs coach Andy Reid has historically run pass-heavy offenses. The lack of explosive plays in the ground game in 2025 put an unnecessary strain on Mahomes and the offense. There wasn’t even a threat from running the football unless Mahomes took off himself. There was no room for error. They had to be perfect snap-to-snap.

The running game will open up the deep passing game for Kansas City with more single-high safety coverage. It’ll force defenses to roll more defenders into the box. It should also open up the play-action passing game. The Chiefs want to help Mahomes, stifle the pass rush, and set him up to succeed with the ball. A dynamic run game led by Walker, Johnson, and even Rashard Smith can certainly be the difference there.

Running backs will also revive the passing game out of the backfield

Both Walker and Johnson are viewed as do-it-all backs who can be in for all three downs, work in pass protection, catch the football, and run it. Smith is a little more niche but seems to be a good change-of-pace option for Kansas City.

While rushing will be the primary focus for these players, pass catching will also be back on the menu. Texas routes, screen passes, wheel routes out of the backfield. Those have been staples in the Andy Reid offense in years past, but over the last three seasons, they haven’t been nearly as successful.

Part of that is that they haven’t had the personnel to execute it effectively. They have the running backs to do that now. It remains to be seen whether the offensive line can help this part of the game thrive. But rest assured, running backs will be used and targeted in multiple ways in the passing game this season.

Travis Kelce isn’t as washed as the national media might lead you to believe

I’m not here to talk up a soon-to-be 37-year-old tight end and say he could lead the league in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns. I don’t think that’s something that’s realistic for Travis Kelce in what could be his final NFL season. However, I do think the Chiefs have the setup and the weapons to open things up for Kelce. He should stay successful as a pass catcher and potentially even finish top-5 among tight ends.

While the Chiefs’ 2025 NFL season is forgettable, Kelce didn’t exactly have a bad year, all things considered. Statistical production was frankly better and more efficient than the past two seasons for the team. He had 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns. That’s an 11.2 yards-per-reception average, which is his best mark since the 2022 NFL season.

With guys like Walker in the fold and a slew of different receivers who could help take pressure off, Kelce should have a path to production as a center-of-the-field receiver. He should still be involved on the big, important downs where Mahomes is looking for a trusted target. Will he top his 110 receptions from 2022, his 12 touchdowns, and go over 1,000 receiving yards? Probably not. But I do think it’s not out of the question that he could have perhaps the most yardage, receptions, and touchdowns he’s had since that season.

Special teams might be the Chiefs’ biggest weakness in 2026

The phase of the game I am most concerned about for Kansas City is special teams. The Chiefs’ decision to go with punt return specialist Nikko Remigio wasn’t an exciting one. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but he clearly had the least juice of any Chiefs returner.

I do fear that the days of Harrison Butker being automatic and consistent for Kansas City are gone. You look at the preseason Week 2 game, and his two misses are certainly magnified. They could have helped the team win. That’s something you don’t want to see during the preseason from your star kicker. No one can question his range after his long make during the preseason, but his consistency in extra points and field goals will be a question.

As for the return and coverage units, I do worry that Kansas City’s bottom-end roster depth isn’t the greatest. Those players will be relied on to make impacts on special teams, which could lead to mistakes, penalties, and games being decided by that phase of the ball.

The position group that will surprise people the most is edge rusher

I think the edge rusher position group has the potential to be the biggest surprise for Kansas City in 2026. The team has seemingly invested in a different player prototype, with guys like R Mason Thomas and newcomer Jack Pyburn. It feels like they are finally looking for some of those speedier, bendy edge rushers who can create pass rush pressure. That’s as opposed to thicker base defensive ends who overwhelm with power rather than speed and quickness.

Even players like Felix Anudike-Uzomah have the potential to shock some folks this season. Thomas has been a huge bright spot during the preseason. The big question surrounds Ashton Gillotte, since he’s been out with a ruptured plantar fascia. How quickly can he come back, and will he regain his spot opposite George Karlaftis?

I don’t think you have to force Gillotte back out there before he’s ready, given the current group of players they have. Stick with FAU, Thomas, and Pyburn, giving Gillotte a chance to be at his best. It feels like a good problem to have heading into the season.