The NFL got it right.
This spring, the league scheduled the Kansas City Chiefs to host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is returning from a broken ankle , and Mahomes is returning from a serious knee injury , so there was no guarantee that both QBs would be fully recovered for the prime-time matchup.
Nix has since recovered , though, and Denver expects Mahomes to be at 100% as well.
"I'm going to probably say the same for Bo — you've seen enough things where he's going to be 100%, and we're preparing for him at his best," Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about Mahomes after Wednesday's practice. "We know how talented he is, and I'm sure he's attacked the rehab the way Bo has with completely different injuries. That's kind of our approach to it."
Denver expects Mahomes to be completely healthy, and there have been no indications out of Kansas City to suggest otherwise. So it looks like it will be Mahomes vs. Nix in a prime-time spotlight for the NFL's first MNF showdown of the season.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton expects Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (knee) to be 'at his best' in Week 1
