As soon as it was announced that the Denver Broncos would be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 1 of the upcoming NFL season, the NFL media world took the opportunity to remind everyone just how unanimous they are that the Chiefs are about to have a major bounce-back year in 2026.
The Chiefs obviously struggled last year as a team, finishing with a 6-11 record and losing star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to injury late in the season. But news of Mahomes recovering quickly has been spreading like wildfire lately, and there are some who believe he could be ready to go for Week 1, which is now just about 4 months away.
And because of that, it's understandable that a lot of folks believe Mahomes and company are going to return this season with a chip on their shoulder. It seemed like many football fans -- even outside of the AFC West -- villainized the Chiefs and enjoyed watching them miss the playoffs last season. Many believe that is going to have poked the proverbial bear, and that the Chiefs are going to come out swinging in 2026.
That opinion is shared by the great commentator Kirk Herbstreit, whose belief in the Chiefs bouncing back should absolutely fuel the Broncos and their fan base, for the way it seems Denver is now the team being forgotten about.
Kirk Herbstreit's praise of the Chiefs should fuel the Denver Broncos in 2026
"I'm excited about the Kansas City Chiefs..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 12, 2026
I don't think their story is over and I think they're gonna come out swinging" ~ @KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7pdXuOC9fJ
"I'm excited about Kansas City. I think it's almost as if people have maybe felt that that's the end, because of the injury to Mahomes, because of some of the losses that they've had. Is it time for Kansas City's story to be over? Obviously, I don't think it is. Anytime you question Patrick Mahomes, you know, he's going to come out swinging."
- Kirk Herbstreit (on The Pat McAfee Show)
The Chiefs receiving a ton of offseason hype and praise is nothing new for Denver Broncos fans in recent years. But the timing of this feels very much like the Chiefs stepping on Denver's toes.
Kansas City has obviously been the NFL's new dynasty since Patrick Mahomes took over, but the Broncos took their division crown from them last year, and not only won the AFC West, but hosted the AFC Championship Game. Considering the way things ended for the Broncos, shouldn't they be the ones getting talked about as having a bounce-back year and not liking the way things ended?
Shouldn't Bo Nix be getting talked about like he's going to have a huge chip on his shoulder after being doubted for the first two years of his NFL career, doing nothing but winning, and now coming off of an ankle injury that robbed him of a possible Super Bowl run?
Apparently, it's going to take more from the Broncos' side of things to receive the offseason fanfare. The Chiefs dominating the headlines isn't the worst thing in the world for helping the Broncos keep a low profile, and it can also be something that fuels their fire throughout the 2026 season.
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