National outlets place Kansas City between roughly 12 and 15 entering the 2026 opener vs. Denver. Writers cite Patrick Mahomes’ quick return from ACL surgery, an untested secondary and questions at left tackle.
Most national outlets rank the Chiefs between 12 and 15 for Week 1, signaling tempered expectations despite returning core players.
Patrick Mahomes is widely expected to start after ACL surgery, but his early-season form is an open question because he missed preseason action.
Offseason stability helps the outlook, but concerns persist about left tackle Josh Simmons’ status and a retooled secondary that hasn’t been fully tested.
Power rankings for Week 1 offer projection rather than verdict. For the Kansas City Chiefs, a consistent theme runs through the national writeups: the team still looks respectable, but uncertainty trims expectations.
Outlets sampled in the roundup place Kansas City mostly in the low-to-mid teens. Listed ranks included NFL.com (14), The Athletic (14), ESPN (13), Pro Football Talk (13), CBS Sports (12), Yahoo Sports (12), USA Today (13) and FOX Sports (15). That spread reflects cautious optimism more than confidence that the Chiefs are immediate favorites.
Multiple outlets point out the benefit of stability — Andy Reid at coach and Mahomes at quarterback remains a strong foundation. The Athletic's writers note the team looks more secure than in earlier power rankings, in part because Mahomes appears ready despite last season's injury. CBS Sports and Yahoo emphasize that as long as Reid and Mahomes remain paired, the Chiefs will be in the playoff mix.
Travis Kelce has a concrete, near-term milestone. Entering Week 1 he sits roughly 45 receiving yards shy of passing Jason Witten for the second-most career receiving yards by a tight end. Several outlets predict he'll reach that mark in the opener against the Broncos, given his history as Mahomes' primary target on critical downs.
Football matchup against the Denver Broncos. Expect a close early look at Mahomes' mobility and decision-making under live-game conditions, plus measurable observation of the offensive line handling Denver pass rushers. The new secondary will see its first meaningful test in coverage and communication. Early performance in these areas will likely shift perceptions quickly in Week 1 and Week 2 power rankings.
Coverage entering Week 1 places Kansas City as a competent but uncertain contender. The franchise's core gives it a quick path back to competitiveness, but concrete questions about line health, secondary cohesion and how Mahomes looks after missing preseason will determine whether the Chiefs climb or slide in early-season rankings.
The hardest part about doing NFL power rankings for Week 1 is that no one really has any freaking clue where these teams should be. We’re just projecting based on last season’s performance and the changes made over the offseason, but reality will be a completely new outcome. I decided to give the Super Bowl […]
The latest Make sure you download the SB Nation app on your mobile device! For more information, click here. There was a new champion of the AFC last season after the Kansas City Chiefs represented the conference in the Super Bowl for three consecutive years. The question is: can the Chiefs reclaim the throne from […]
Week 1 always lies. We all know this, yet every year we write big dissertations overreacting to Week 1 performances and results. So my goal this year is to not do that. There’s some movement in my rankings, especially considering how close I thought a solid half of the teams were, but I’m not dropping […] The post 2026
The latest Make sure you download the SB Nation app on your mobile device! For more information, click here. The NFL season will start in less than a week. It’s time to make predictions about how the conference standings and the divisions will play out. The Kansas City Chiefs will battle with the Denver Broncos, […]
Kansas City Chiefs fans are widely viewed as among the best and most passionate in the NFL.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged-in Kansas City Chiefs fans. You can see all of the recent survey results here. And be sure to check out FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation. How confident are you? To start […]
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.