The Denver Broncos are set to open up their 2026 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, getting things kicked off with a huge divisional matchup on Monday Night Football.
The NFL has made it clear they want as many eyes on this matchup as possible, putting it in a primetime slot and taking a leap of faith that two teams with quarterbacks coming off of significant injuries will be back on the field.
Troy Aikman is the color commentator for Monday Night Football and will be alongside Joe Buck for the call of this game, and as he was giving his opinion on the first matchup he will call this season, he inadvertently sent a bit of a warning to the Denver Broncos.
Troy Aikman's indirect warning to the Denver Broncos adds to MNF drama vs. Chiefs
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs 👀@TroyAikman previews the Broncos-Chiefs which kicks off Monday Night Football for 2026 (September 14) ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/uzLkTlbqoA
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 12, 2026
"I expect them (the Chiefs) to be the same team that we've seen for much of the last decade."
- Troy Aikman (via Get Up)
It really feels like the majority of the NFL media world is embracing the idea of a major bounce-back story for the Kansas City Chiefs this year. And for the Denver Broncos, it's a chance to make a major statement early on.
If the Chiefs are expected to be the same type of powerhouse that we've seen since Patrick Mahomes took over as the starter back in 2018, then the Broncos have a chance -- in front of what should be the biggest audience during Week 1 of the season -- to prove that they are the team to beat in the AFC West.
And frankly, it feels like the NFL world has written the Broncos off a little bit. Even though it's difficult to win 14 games every year, the Broncos won the AFC West last season, beat the Bills in the Divisional Round, and hosted the AFC Championship Game. And as Aikman also points out in this segment, they came one injury away from possibly reaching the Super Bowl.
As Sean Payton often points out, however, you can't pick up where you left off when it comes to the NFL. You reset the game board. You shuffle the deck of cards. You mess up the puzzle pieces and start all over. But the Broncos, for the first time in a really long time, have a stronger foundation than the Chiefs do going into a season.
Last year was all about proving they actually could take back the division. Now, the reality is that the Chiefs have a lot more question marks than the Broncos. But it's that familiar cast of characters between Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones that really has people believing the Chiefs will be alright.
And it's not impossible to think they could do more with "less". The Chiefs have lost a lot. They are not a finished product when it comes to reloading their roster. They have areas of significant weakness that will take multiple years to address. But they have coaches and players who have proven they can come through in the biggest moments, and the NFL world is buying into that.
While the Broncos don't necessarily care too much about the outside noise, that can add another little chip on their shoulders going into the 2026 season. Especially if this game ends up being played in Kansas City, which would be a huge sign of disrespect after the Broncos won the division and hosted the AFC Championship Game last year.
If nothing else, this inadvertent warning from Aikman can serve as a reminder to not take the Chiefs lightly. Even though they struggled badly last season, and even though they have legitimate roster question marks, they are always going to be dangerous as long as they have those main characters around.
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