Bo Nix Is Poised to Climb Broncos Record Books on MNF

The Denver Broncos open up the 2026 regular season on the road against their long-time AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs.

This Broncos-Chiefs showdown on Monday Night Football will be the 132nd all-time meeting between the old division rivals. The Chiefs lead the series 73-58, while the Broncos are 20-45 on the road in the series.

Kansas City holds the series lead by a wide margin, but that is heavily influenced by the 16-game winning streak it held over Denver from Week 2 of the 2015 season until Week 8 of the 2023 campaign. The Chiefs' winning streak over the Broncos was finally snapped when Sean Payton arrived as head coach in 2023.

As head coach of the Broncos, Payton is 4-2 against the Chiefs. Last season, Denver swept Kansas City for the first time since 2014.

That clean sweep helped the Broncos dethrone the Chiefs as AFC West champions, snapping Kansas City's previous nine-year run (!) as victors of the division crown. The Chiefs missed the playoffs, though it had nothing to do with quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 15; they had already played themselves out of contention.

Entering Week 1, the Broncos have several team and individual milestones within reach. Let's take a look at what's on the table for the Broncos in the season opener on Monday night.

Big thanks to Tyler Gorse and the Broncos PR department for providing the information.

Four Consecutive Wins

Sean Payton. — Sean Payton drips swag as he walks onto the field at Arrowhead Stadium. | David Smith / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Broncos have the chance to extend their three-game winning streak over the Chiefs to four. Four would only be a fraction of the 16-game streak Kansas City had over Denver, but it would be a start.

A Broncos win at Arrowhead to open the season would also send a big message to the AFC West.

First Win at Arrowhead Stadium Against Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes avoids Dondrea Tillman. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Last season, the Broncos won in Kansas City for the first time since 2014. However, Mahomes was sidelined in that Christmas Day game with that knee injury.

The bitter truth is, the Broncos have never defeated the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium with Mahomes in the lineup. He was drafted in 2017 and became the starter ahead of the 2018 season.

The Broncos came oh so close in 2024 — Nix's rookie year. Trailing by two points, Nix had the Chiefs on the ropes, executing a beautiful five-minute drive at the bottom of the fourth quarter and putting kicker Wil Lutz in line for a would-be game-winning 37-yard field-goal attempt.

Alas, Leo Chenal identified a vulnerability in the Broncos' field-goal protection scheme during his pre-game film study and exploited it by shoving lineman Alex Forsyth down at the snap and blocking Lutz's attempt as time expired. Kansas City avoided disaster by the skin of its teeth, though credit goes to special teams coordinator Dave Toub and Chanel, the latter of whom is no longer with the Chiefs.

Suffice it to say, that still chaps Payton's hide. This will be the Broncos' first chance at redemption against Mahomes at Arrowhead since that blocked kick.

Bo Nix Looking For Two Passing TDs

With two passing scores, Nix would tie the late Craig Morton and Jay Cutler for the fifth-most games with multiple touchdown passes in Broncos history. In his two career games at Arrowhead all time, Nix has thrown three total touchdown passes, with one interception.

Nix tossed two touchdowns in his first-ever start at Arrowhead, so the precedent is there. And the weather is forecasted to be quite favorable.

Courtland Sutton Eyeing Ed McCaffrey

Sutton needs just nine receptions to tie McCaffrey for the fourth-most receptions in Broncos history. Depending on the flow of this game, it's possible, but this is a milestone Sutton might not reach until Week 2.

If Sutton can catch a touchdown pass, he'll become just the fifth player in Broncos history to reach 40 receiving scores within his first nine seasons. The Pro Bowler has plenty of incentive to ball out on Monday night.

J.K. Dobbins Chasing a Hall of Famer

Dating back to the 2020 season, Dobbins has scored a rushing touchdown in each Week 1 game. In his first game back since Week 10 of last season, Dobbins has the chance to extend it to five straight Week-1 rushing touchdowns and become the first NFL player to do so since Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (1982-89).

Dobbins's Week-1 rushing score last year was a 19-yarder in the Broncos' 20-12 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Garett Bolles Poised to Pass Two OL Mainstays

Bolles will start at left tackle on Monday night, and in so doing, he'll pass Matt Lepsis and Dave Studdard for the fifth-most starts by an offensive lineman in Broncos history. Coming off a first-team All-Pro season, Bolles is the Broncos' longest-tenured player on the roster.

The Broncos drafted Bolles in the first round back in 2017.

Patrick Surtain II Looking to Join a No Fly Zoner

Pat Surtain II tackles Travis Kelce. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Surtain needs just one pass defensed to tie Bradley Roby for the seventh-most pass breakups in franchise history. Roby, of course, was a 2014 first-round pick and a key part of the No Fly Zone defense that led the way to the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 championship.

Surtain was the No. 9 overall selection in the 2021 draft. He's a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, and was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Wil Lutz Approaching 100 XP Streak

With one extra-point conversion, Lutz will become just the third kicker since 2015 to make 100 straight extra points. It's an impressive streak and milestone because the NFL extended the extra-point distance by 13 yards in 2015, moving it from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line and making it far less of a sure thing.

Lutz's 99 straight extra points is the NFL's third-longest active streak behind only Justin Tucker (112) and Tyler Bass (104).

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