Former Chiefs star Alex Smith explains why he hates the Denver Broncos
Man, if there could be a one-time exemption that allowed for a tie in a playoff game that eliminated both teams, Chiefs fans might choose to use it Saturday.
The Bills face the Broncos in an AFC Divisional Round playoff game, and while most Chiefs fans will be rooting for Denver to lose, they might not be cheering for Josh Allen and Buffalo in the process.
Like Chiefs fans, quarterback Alex Smith really hates those guys in Denver, and I do mean just like Dean Wormer hated the Delta Tau Chi fraternity members in “Animal House.”
While on the “Up & Adams” show, Smith was asked by host Kay Adams about his disdain for the orange and blue.
“Listen, I mean, when you play for the Chiefs for five years, it’s just these are rivalries, right?” Smith said “These old AFC rivalries that are so real and amazing. And if I, to this day — I lay down at night and I can still hear that crowd yelling ‘incomplete’ over and over and over again when you go play there on the road.
“I don’t have a lot of love for the Broncos.”
Smith, who is now an ESPN analyst, had a 4-5 record against the Broncos during his time with the Chiefs. That includes a 2-2 mark in Denver.
The Broncos are the top seed in the AFC playoff field, but Smith doesn’t see them as a clear-cut favorite to make the Super Bowl.
“I love Sean Payton. I love Bo Nix,” Smith said. “I like this team a ton. I was with (defensive coordinator) Vance Joseph. There’s so many relationships here. I know the ownership group really well. There’s so many amazing people there. They had 12 comeback wins this year. That is the most in NFL history. Twelve comeback wins. And so when you just start thinking about the AFC picture in a whole, it is just so wide open.
“And it wasn’t to say that the Broncos won’t hold the Lamar Hunt trophy and won’t be at the Super Bowl. But, like, I just think this year, more than others, is when the one seed isn’t this huge, overwhelming favorite, right? Are any of us going to be crazy surprised if the Bills go in there and win? Not necessarily, right? If Houston or the Patriots, you know, kind of run the table, I just think it’s wide open at this point.”
Return to the Chiefs?
Smith also shot down talk of joining the Chiefs’ coaching staff.
“No way,” Smith said, adding the ages of his kids. “You take that job and it’s like, ‘I’ll see you in five years.’”
Smith does, however, see former Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka returning to the Chiefs.
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 11:05 AM.
