liveUpdated 3m agoFollow our live coverage as Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City open the season against division rival Denver.The Athletic Live TeamSeptember 14, 2026 at 5:15 PM EDTChiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back from an injury suffered last season. Getty ImagesBroncos vs. Chiefs — Latest Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs embark on their quest to bounce back from a 2025 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since Mahomes was drafted, starting with a showdown against the reigning AFC West champion Denver Broncos.Follow live for the latest news and storylines before kickoff, followed by play-by-play updates and real-time analysis from The Athletic’s NFL staff.Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ETTV: ABC, ESPNStreaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)Join the conversation in our Chat tab or by emailing us at live@theathletic.com.SKIP ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementSubscribe to The Athletic The AthleticThe first week of the NFL season wraps up tonight with an AFC West showdown after a tremendous start to the season on Wednesday, Thursday and then yesterday. The college football and Premier League seasons are rolling along, and the MLB playoffs are not far off. Plus, the NBA and NHL will be here before we know it. We will have all that, and more, covered at The Athletic. Get your subscription here to make sure you can read all of our terrific coverage.Join the conversation! The AthleticWe want to hear from you about tonight’s game and the rest of the biggest NFL storylines as the season gets underway!Can Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs return to the top of the AFC? Are Bo Nix and the Broncos here to stay?Sound off on the above and anything else relating to tonight’s game in our Chat tab or email us at live@theathletic.com.How to watch tonight’s game IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectTonight’s “Monday Night Football” game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs can be seen on ABC and ESPN.Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter) will be on the call.What time does tonight's game kick off? Getty ImagesTonight’s “Monday Night Football” game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET. That’s 7:15 p.m. CT, local time in Kansas City.Welcome to our live coverage! Getty ImagesHello, football fans. Welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage of the 2026 NFL season!Today, we’re bringing you all the action from Kansas City as Patrick Mahomes makes his return from a torn ACL that cost him the latter part of the 2025 NFL season, as the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. They’ll be up against the team that broke their streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles — the Denver Broncos, coming off a 13-4 season and AFC Championship Game appearance.Follow along as we bring you all the pregame news and storylines, followed by live play-by-play updates and real-time analysis from The Athletic’s NFL staff!