NFL schedule makers gave Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes a little favor
Kansas City knows when it'll play in Week 1.
NFL schedule makers gave Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes a little favor originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Patrick Mahomes is going to do everything he can to return from his season-ending knee injury as early in the 2026 NFL season as possible.
The league's schedule makers did the Kansas City Chiefs and their superstar quarterback about as good of a favor as they could on that front. The Chiefs play the final game of Week 1 in 2026 -- on Monday night against the Denver Broncos . That's September 14, and it gives Mahomes a date to shoot for.
It's also a handful of days later than the earliest possible start point for Kansas City. That's not a ton, but it could matter at least a bit in the Mahomes journey back from his injury. "The NFL putting the Broncos and Chiefs in the final slot of Week 1—Monday, September 14—gives Patrick Mahomes a target date now," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote on X on Tuesday.
"And he's worked his (butt) off to make it back in time for the opener. " MORE: Shilo Sanders under fire for telling female reporter to 'make a sandwich' The Chiefs did bring in a solid alternative if Mahomes isn't ready for Week 1. Justin Fields would get the starting nod for any amount of time that Mahomes is forced to miss.