Broncos fans upset about opener vs. Chiefs in KC are not in touch with reality
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- NFL announced Chiefs-Broncos Week 1 without naming the location.
- Kyle Brandt posted on X that the game should be played in Denver.
- The NFL later announced the Week 1 opener would be at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
The NFL dribbles out information for days ahead of its schedule release, as the league builds anticipation among fans.
There’s been a bit of angst, too.
When the league announced the Chiefs and Broncos would play in Week 1 but left out where the game would be played, NFL Network host Kyle Brandt went on social media and made a demand.
“This game better be in Denver,” Brandt wrote on X. “I enjoy Arrowhead on TV, but Broncos beat them twice, won division, should be at home.”
Sure, many Broncos fans agreed with Brandt, but some thought it would be better for Denver to get the game out of the way early rather than play at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium late in the season.
And that’s what will happen as the NFL later announced the opener would be in Kansas City.
But Brandt’s justification for why the game should be played in Denver — which was parroted by Broncos fans — wasn’t rooted in reality.
Simply look at Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Chiefs, who won their ninth straight AFC West tile in 2024 and went to the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season, opened on the road with an international game.
Despite sweeping the season series from the Chargers, the Chiefs played in Brazil in L.A.’s home game.
A more apt comparison for the Broncos, who haven’t been to the Super Bowl in a decade, is what happened to the Lions.
Detroit was the No. 1 seed in the NFC postseason after the 2024 season but failed to advance to the Super Bowl. The Lions swept the season series from the Packers, but had their 2025 opener in Green Bay.
So the demand for the Chiefs-Broncos game to be in Denver shows fans don’t have a grasp of how the NFL has operated in the past.
Chiefs-Broncos fan sniping
One thing the announcement of the opener being at Arrowhead Stadium accomplished was fueling the Chiefs-Broncos rivalry online. Fans of the teams were sniping.
Much of the, uh, discourse included cursing, but here is a sample of the clean conversations that are sure to continue for the next five months ahead of the 2026 opener ... in Kansas City.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 10:15 AM.
