Patrick Mahomes is expected to start nine months after tearing his ACL. Will Kansas City beat Denver on Sept 14?
53% of users predicted NO — the community missed this one. 15 predictions cast.
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 31-10 in their 2026 season opener at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 14, with Patrick Mahomes returning from a torn ACL and LCL to start at quarterback nine months after his December 2025 injury.
Running back Kenneth Walker III led the Chiefs' offense in his Kansas City debut, rushing for 173 yards and two touchdowns, the most rushing yards by a Chiefs player since Jamaal Charles in 2012. Mahomes, wearing a brace on his surgically repaired left knee, threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns and added a 15-yard rushing score to cap Kansas City's opening drive.
The win gave the Chiefs a measure of revenge after Denver had taken the AFC West division title from them, and it came despite questions about Mahomes's conditioning after missing all of the 2026 preseason. Kansas City controlled the game throughout, with the Walker-led ground game and an efficient Mahomes performance overwhelming a Broncos team led by quarterback Bo Nix.
The Predict Six community had this closer to a toss-up at 47% yes, reflecting real uncertainty about how Mahomes and the offense would perform in his first competitive action since the injury. The result favored Kansas City, a modest community miss.