Patrick Mahomes' Recent Comments Puts Broncos On Notice for Week 1

Heading into the 2026 season, the Denver Broncos will have no time to waste before being put on center stage for a primetime showing against a division rival.

In Week 1, the Broncos will be tasked with facing off on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs under the lights of Monday Night Football, which is sure to be a thrilling, high-stakes matchup between two talented groups who could each come on top in the AFC West by the end of the season.

That matchup will be even more exciting if Patrick Mahomes is ready to go for that matchup, but there are no clear guarantees that'll come to fruition. The Chiefs quarterback went down with a torn ACL in Week 15 of last season that now leaves his status heading into training camp, and in Week 1 against Denver, up in the air.

However, make no mistake: Mahomes is doing everything he can to get ready for that duel against the Broncos in front of the Chiefs' home crowd. He even said so in a recent interview.

Patrick Mahomes Looking to Return From ACL Injury vs. Broncos

Mahomes appeared on Yahoo Sports Daily this week to reveal some of his plans and overall expectations for when he'll be healthy and back in the mix this season––and it's clear he has Week 1 against the Broncos circled on his calendar for his inevitable return.

"That's my goal," Mahomes said of returning Week 1 vs. Denver. "I've said that since the beginning is being ready to go Week 1. I can't predict the future and I know that it's a long process. It's not just my decision, but at the same time I'm going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1."

"I don't want to miss that game [against the Broncos] because that's the team that won the division while we were gone, and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates. I'll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1 and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light and I'm able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league."

It certainly makes sense from Mahomes' perspective as to why he'd want to be starting and ready to go at the start of the season, but even more so when it's a matchup against the Broncos.

Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) prepares to pass in the first half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That's not only because of the stakes that are baked into a divisional home opener against the reigning AFC West champs. Any time these two are scheduled to face off in such a setting, you know that both sides are going to bring their A-game. However, Mahomes might also have a bad taste in his mouth due to the results of their most recent season series that took place in 2025.

For the first time since 2014, the Broncos swept the Chiefs in their season series, 2-0, which also paired with their first-place finish in the conference, which last happened all the way back in 2015.

Granted, Mahomes was only healthy for one of those matchups, and was sidelined for the Chiefs' Week 18 finale against the Mile High. But going winless facing a team that, frankly, Kansas City has taken care of business against in recent memory, is sure to add some extra motivation to get back on the field to play them again as quickly as possible.

With that in mind, the Broncos will have to make sure they're truly prepared to open the year up against a test against the Mahomes-led Chiefs right as their new season kicks off.

Because if not, it could be what sinks their record to an early 0-1 deficit on the year, and put them down in the count to take the crown once again in the AFC West.

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