Broncos Opponent Breakdown: Chiefs' Biggest Threats & How to Stop Them

The Denver Broncos are gearing up for training camp, which begins in earnest on July 28, when the veterans report. When the cleats hit the grass, the Broncos will be preparing for a schedule full of worthy playoff contenders.

First on the Broncos' road to the Super Bowl are the rival Kansas City Chiefs, who are coming off a very underwhelming 2025 season, finishing 6-11 and third in the AFC West.

As we look ahead to Week 1, I'm breaking down the biggest threats each opponent presents on offense and defense. The Chiefs are up first, so let's figure out how the Broncos can neutralize them, starting with the obvious.

Offense: Patrick Mahomes | QB

Patrick Mahomes and Jerry Hughes — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is pressured by Bills Jerry Hughes. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Broncos face the former two-time MVP and the bane of the AFC over the last nine years in Week 1 and Week 8. Mahomes has proved to be one of, if not the, best quarterbacks of the modern era, with his ability to make mind-bending plays, a rocket arm, and mobility to get out of the stickiest of situations.

He, paired with offensive genius Andy Reid, has been a deadly combo against the Broncos for almost a decade, with some of Mahomes's biggest highlight-reel moments coming vs. Denver, further fanning the flames of rivalry.

Mahomes has an uncanny ability to extend plays with his legs and make any defense look silly, and the Broncos will have to be on their A-game to retain the AFC West crown.

Solution: Make Mahomes Move

Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in the final minutes of Week 15 last season, which puts his availability to start in Week 1 in doubt. He was throwing passes during voluntary workouts earlier this summer, and he's purportedly ahead of schedule.

Still, if Mahomes plays, he'll likely have mobility limitations. Should he start the season, the Broncos’ aggressive defense should be able to pressure Mahomes and force him off his spot.

Coming off a multi-ligament tear, Mahomes will have to make decisions more quickly and try to extend plays on his bad knee. Injury or not, the Broncos have to find a way to force Mahomes into grave mistakes with their in-your-face pass rush and blitz packages.

Getting Mahomes to move around as much as possible will be the key to slowing down the Chiefs’ offense to a crawl.

Defensive: Chris Jones | DL

While not as dominant in recent years, Jones remains a threatening force on the Chiefs’ defense. Over his 10-year career, he has racked up 87.5 sacks, 339 tackles, and 13 forced fumbles.

Jones is considered one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and excels at breaking through offensive lines with great force, scaring quarterbacks into making terrible decisions or throwing them in the dirt. Despite having a great offensive line, the Broncos will have to be smart in how they handle Jones.

Solution: Double Team

Outside of Jones, the Chiefs’ defensive line is woefully unimpressive. Khyiris Tonga was a solid free-agent addition, but guys like George Karlaftis, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and Ashton Gillotte are largely unimpressive.

Given how dominant the Broncos’ offensive line has been, it should be able to throw double teams Jones’s way without any major threat of another pass rusher wrecking shop. As I mentioned before, Jones is still a monster of a defender, but his fire has dimmed a bit, and the Broncos’ interior line has a good chance of stalling him enough to snuff his flame completely.

The Takeaway

The Broncos have their hands full with both Mahomes leading the Chiefs’ offense and Jones anchoring the defense, but Denver has the tools to muck up their game plan.

If the Broncos' defense can harass Mahomes out of his comfort zone and stonewall Jones, they'll be in a great position to sweep the Chiefs for the second year in a row and sink their playoff hopes.

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