The Kansas City Chiefs started off the 2026 NFL season with a Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos.

Many people questioned coach Andy Reid heading into the game, wondering whether he still had it. They wondered if the game had passed him by. Had the past three seasons suggested an eroded offensive scheme? The truth is, Reid still has his fastball and a knack for getting the most out of his players’ talents in productive, fun ways.

Reid has had plays in the past drawn from various inspirations, including classic football plays. You might remember the “Shift To Rose Bowl Right Parade” from Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers, a play the team stole from the 1948 Rose Bowl between Michigan and USC. That play featured unusual pre-snap movement that got the defensive line moving in the wrong directions and allowed RB Damien Williams to take a direct snap and score a touchdown.

Week 1 against Denver, the Chiefs pulled out a play from even earlier. This time it was a 1936 play the team watched on grainy black-and-white film and mastered throughout training camp. The play, dubbed “Heisman,” resulted in a 2-yard touchdown reception for RB Kenneth Walker. It included QB Justin Fields, QB Patrick Mahomes, and TE Travis Kelce aligned in the backfield in a one-point stance.

Kansas City, of course, has run other trick plays over the years. You’ll remember “Corn Dog”, “Snow Globe”, “Bloated Tebow Pass“, and “Hungry Pig Right.” All of these plays were hallmarks of Reid’s tenure with the Chiefs, and those moments captured what it was like to have fun playing football in Kansas City. He brought that back again with this latest iteration in Week 1’s 30-10 win.

Reid credits Chris Berman for sending the play his way

Here’s what Reid had to say about the play’s origins, including what seems like a joke about his buddy Chris Berman:

“Chris Berman sent me that play, so that’s a 1936er right there. It was honestly, it was a great play, you know, they executed it well. We did it at training camp. I mean, yeah, we’ve run it, we’ve run it before, just not that smooth.”

It sure did look smooth on Monday night with the Chiefs taking a commanding 30-10 lead over the Broncos after the score.

Patrick Mahomes reveals the play’s name and its old-school origins

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the one who revealed the name of the play.

“It was called Heisman,” Mahomes said. “I can’t remember who exactly ran it because it was black and white. It was very scratchy when we were watching it. It was a play that Coach (Andy) Heck brought to us. I’m sure Coach Reid had his imprint on it as well, and we designed it, and I just knew it was going to score. And hopefully that can set some stuff up. You know, Justin’s got a lot of ability running the ball and throwing the ball as well, and so hopefully that’s the first iteration of it.”

The Chiefs will likely revisit this play again. It might not come in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. It might surface much later in the season or during the playoffs. There are a number of different ways they can run it, iterations they can use to gain an advantage over a defense.

Kenneth Walker jokes about deciphering the 1936 film

As for the player who scored on the play, Walker was surprised he could even tell what was on the film.

“The film we watched was probably from 1900, so you know it was hard to see,” Walker said. “But you know, we worked on it, and you know, we worked it over and over in practice, and you know, felt like that was going to work, and you know, it did.”

For Walker, the moment represented the team’s trust in his ability to execute a unique, out-of-the-box play. It made for a fun highlight-reel moment for a team hungry to get back in the win column.

What this says about Reid and the Chiefs heading into 2026

What’s most impressive about all of this is that Kansas City felt comfortable and confident enough to break this play out in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Most teams at this point in the year are trying to keep things simple and run the most basic offense they can before building a more substantial game plan later in the season. The Chiefs, however, busted out all of the stops.

Reid saw something different from his team leading into the opener. He saw a group that was hungry for a victory, focused, and capable of executing a trick play to perfection. Broncos HC Sean Payton insisted after the game that they expected a heavy dose of Kenneth Walker and the run game. They were swinging on the pitch expecting a fastball, and Reid struck them out with it anyway.