NFL hands Kansas City Chiefs’ rebuilt secondary a trial by fire right out of the gate with Denver Broncos receivers in Week 1
The Kansas City Chiefs’ rebuilt secondary, featuring Mansoor Delane, Nohl Williams, Kristian Fulton, Jadon Canady, and Alohi Gilman, will face a trial by fire in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
The Kansas City Chiefs will officially open the 2026 NFL season at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium against an AFC West divisional rival. It’ll be a major test for a defensive secondary that saw many departures and new additions this offseason.
The Chiefs are set to face the Denver Broncos under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 14, at 7:15 p.m. CT on ESPN/ABC.
There will be three preseason games to build chemistry. However, this will very much be a trial by fire for the Chiefs’ rebuilt secondary. Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Bryan Cook are no longer in Kansas City. It’ll instead be some combination of Mansoor Delane, Nohl Williams, Kader Kohou, Kristian Fulton, and Alohi Gilman. They’ll replace those three players and then some.
This story might be overshadowed by storylines surrounding Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix’s injury returns. No matter what, they’ll have all the eyeballs on them with primetime football. They’ll also face off against a Broncos receiver corps expected to be one of the best in the NFL in 2026.
New Chiefs CB Mansoor Delane, S Alohi Gilman, and others will face big test right out of the gate
The Broncos arguably have the top wide receiver room in the AFC West division and one of the best in the entire league heading into the 2026 NFL season. The projected top three receivers for the Broncos in 2026 produced a combined 203 receptions for over 2,600 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.
Denver Broncos 2026 Receivers Quick Stats & Facts
The Broncos upgraded their WR corps this offseason by sending a 2026 1st-round pick (No. 30), a 3rd-round pick (No. 94), and a 4th-round pick (No. 130) to the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 4th-round pick and WR Jaylen Waddle.
- Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins): 64 receptions for 910 yards and six touchdowns.
- Courtland Sutton: 74 receptions for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns.
- Troy Franklin: 65 receptions for 709 yards and six touchdowns.
As for the Chiefs’ secondary, they are largely unproven. There is, however, a ton of promise on paper. Outside of the occasional penalty misstep, Nohl Williams was one of the best rookie cornerbacks in football in 2025.
Two 2026 NFL Draft picks, Mansoor Delane and Jadon Canady, were both lockdown defensive backs in college. They were the only two defensive backs in college football to allow seven or fewer first downs.
In 2025, Delane allowed just 13 receptions for 147 yards, no touchdowns, and just six first downs in the regular season and LSU’s bowl game combined. He was targeted less than 10% of the time when he was on the field. Opponents completed just 37.1% of their throws into his coverage.
Similarly, Canady allowed just 17 receptions for 109 yards, one touchdown, and just five first downs in 2025. He allowed just 6.1 yards per reception and a 41.8 passer rating in his coverage.
The newcomers with NFL experience, like Alohi Gilman and Kader Kohou, could help stabilize the Chiefs’ secondary. When Kohou was last healthy in 2024, he allowed 42 receptions for 335 yards and two touchdowns, averaging just eight yards per reception allowed. Gilman allowed 21 receptions for 301 yards and one touchdown, splitting time between the Chargers and Ravens in 2025.