The Kansas City Chiefs' complete 2026 regular-season schedule is set, with the team opening at home against the Denver Broncos on Monday, September 14, and closing the year against the Las Vegas Raiders at home.

The Schedule

Week 1: Sept. 14 (Monday) vs. Denver Broncos

Week 2: Sept. 20 vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week 3: Sept. 27 at Miami Dolphins

Week 4: Oct. 4 at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 5: BYE

Week 6: Oct. 18 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 7: Oct. 25 at Seattle Seahawks

Week 8: Nov. 1 at Denver Broncos

Week 9: Nov. 8 vs. New York Jets

Week 10: Nov. 15 at Atlanta Falcons

Week 11: Nov. 22 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 12: Nov. 26 at Buffalo Bills (Thanksgiving)

Week 13: Dec. 3 (Thursday) at Los Angeles Rams

Week 14: Dec. 13 at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 15: Dec. 21 (Monday) vs. New England Patriots

Week 16: Dec. 27 vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 17: TBD at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 18: TBD vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Projections Paint Bleak Picture

Analyst Henry McKenna predicts an 8-9 record for Kansas City in 2026—another down year following the team's playoff miss last season.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the Kansas City Chiefs probably won't start quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Week 1. He might be ready ahead of schedule. But the risks are too significant, whether that's the quarterback suffering another injury, or simply that he doesn't quite look the same right away," McKenna wrote. "Do they have the right wide receiver? Do they have the right tackles? Can Travis Kelce do much more than rotational play? That's a lot of questions. And with his ACL recovery, Mahomes will have fewer answers than normal."

At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chiefs' projected win total sits at 10.5 wins. Their Super Bowl odds are +1600, while playoff odds stand at -184.

Aggressive Overhaul in Free Agency and Draft

Kansas City took a swinging approach to the offseason after missing the playoffs in 2025. The franchise dealt star cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a first-round pick and additional draft selections.

The team lost defensive depth in free agency, with cornerback Jaylen Watson, linebacker Leo Chenal, wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, and running back Isiah Pacheco departing.

On the flip side, the Chiefs signed running back Kenneth Walker III, who won Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks, and re-signed tight end Travis Kelce. In the draft, Kansas City added LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane and Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods in the first round, followed by Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas in Round 2.

Draft Class Earns Top Marks

Analyst Ralph Vacchiano ranked the Chiefs at No. 8 in his post-draft power rankings.

"They made sure that when Patrick Mahomes returns, he'll have a top-10 defense behind him again," Vacchiano wrote.

Draft analyst Rob Rang gave Kansas City's haul an A grade.

"Needing to replace three starters in their secondary, I loved the aggression the Chiefs showed in trading up to get the top cornerback in the draft in Mansoor Delane, who is equal parts athlete and technician, projecting as an immediate starter with high-end potential," Rang wrote.