Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs Preview
Patrick Mahomes will be the center of attention when the Kansas City Chiefs opens its season at home in the Denver Broncos in an AFC West game on Monday Night Football.
The Chiefs’ star quarterback hasn’t played since tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee in December, but has spent the offseason working to get back to full fitness.
The 30-year-old insists he is good to go and says there will be no limitations on his plays on Monday Night Football.
“You have to go out there and be yourself,” Mahomes said. “I’ve built up strength (on the knee) and I’ve built up all the rehab days so I can be myself. I’m going to stay safe, like I always will, not try to take big hits.
“But I’m a competitor, I signed up for this and I’m going to play football. That’s how I’ve always rolled, no matter what.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid is confident Mahomes will once again be the dominant force that saw him named MVP in 2018 and 2022.
“He’s shown he can do (everything),” Reid said. “We’re not going to hold anything back that we wouldn’t normally do. He’s primed and ready to go. It’s just a matter of going out and playing.
“I know he’s excited to get going. It’s been hard for him to sit down and watch it. That’s not his style. I’m sure he’ll be excited to get out there and finally get to play, especially (because of) the hard work he put in.”
The Broncos also have a QB returning from injury with Bo Nix set to play in a competitive game for the first time since fracturing his right ankle in the divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills in January.
“I’m excited to get out there,” Nix said. “I feel like I’m hitting my stride and I’ve been on this practice schedule for a long time. It’s exciting to go out there and play another team. It’s really exciting, and I know our guys are going to respond well. I feel like I’ve got a great group with me coming in here. I can’t wait.”
The Broncos quarterback is 6-1 (.857) in prime-time games, which is tied for the best winning percentage for any quarterback with at least five starts since 2000.
“It doesn’t get old,” Nix said of playing Monday night. “It’s really exciting. It means you’re in a really good place as an organization, but it’s also a big responsibility. They put you on Monday Night Football in Week 1, it means you have something to go out there and prove. We’re excited as a team. It’s going to be a really big challenge, but one we’re going to respond to well. We’ve just got to go out there and play really hard.”
