The Kansas City Chiefs have been the NFL’s apex predator for the past handful of years as Patrick Mahomes and Co. made it to the AFC Championship game every year up until last season.
A soft roster reset has been undertaken, and with Mahomes dealing with an ACL injury, the Chiefs, at least early in 2026, remain a bit of an enigma. How good will they be?
That is what the NFL schedule makers have to figure out, and with the Chiefs already set to face the Denver Broncos in Week 1 on Monday Night Football, that is a big call.
CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo has one schedule for the Chiefs, and it’s for fewer prime-time games in 2026.
“The Chiefs played a league-high seven primetime games in 2025,” DeArdo wrote. “After a 6-11 season and possible Chiefs fatigue from viewers, there’s a very good chance that Kansas City will see fewer opportunities. The Chiefs should welcome it, given how many times they’ve been asked to play at night over the past several years.”
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Will NFL forget Chiefs as prime-time stars?
Well, to kick off the season, they haven’t.
Given the uncertainty of Mahomes early in the season, you could see the league not having Kansas City in many prime-time slots in the first couple of months.
But in the second half of the season, the Chiefs could easily be put on the national stage, as, despite their constant success, they still draw a lot of eyeballs.
So, how the NFL schedule makers view the Chiefs when the full regular season slate drops will be fascinating to see.