A Monday Night Football opener against Denver. A Thanksgiving-week Thursday night trip to Buffalo. And a season-closing stretch with two dates still carrying ambiguity. The Kansas City Chiefs Schedule 2026 delivers five nationally televised prime-time games and a genuine gauntlet down the stretch.
Kansas City Chiefs Schedule 2026 (Preseason)
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 15 | Los Angeles Rams (Preseason) | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 4:00 PM | NFLN/Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Preseason) | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 7:30 PM | ESPN App |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Seattle Seahawks (Preseason) | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 8:00 PM | ESPN App |
Kansas City Chiefs Schedule 2026 (Regular Season)
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Sep 14 | Denver Broncos | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 8:15 PM | ESPN/ABC |
| Sun, Sep 20 | Indianapolis Colts | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 8:20 PM | NBC/Peacock |
| Sun, Sep 27 | at Miami Dolphins | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Oct 4 | at Las Vegas Raiders | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Oct 11 | — | BYE | — | — |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Oct 25 | at Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field, Seattle, WA | 8:20 PM | NBC/Peacock |
| Sun, Nov 1 | at Denver Broncos | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Nov 8 | New York Jets | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Nov 15 | at Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Nov 22 | Arizona Cardinals | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Thu, Nov 26 | at Buffalo Bills | Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY | 8:20 PM | NBC/Peacock |
| Thu, Dec 3 | at Los Angeles Rams | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA | 8:15 PM | Prime Video |
| Sun, Dec 13 | at Cincinnati Bengals | Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| Mon, Dec 21 | New England Patriots | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 8:15 PM | ESPN/ABC |
| Sun, Dec 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| Sun, Jan 3 | at Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA | TV TBA (or Sat, Jan 2) | — |
| Sun, Jan 10 | Las Vegas Raiders | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | TV TBA (or Sat, Jan 9) | — |
MORE: 2026 NFL Schedule Every Week, Date, and Kickoff Time
A Prime-Time Opener, Then Immediate Divisional Stakes
Kansas City Chiefs Schedule 2026 opens with a full preseason slate before the real season begins on Monday Night Football against Denver — the first of five nationally televised prime-time games this year. Indianapolis follows on Sunday Night Football before road trips to Miami and Las Vegas close out a demanding opening month.
A Bye, Then the AFC West Rivalry Returns
A bye week on October 11 gives Kansas City time to reset before the Los Angeles Chargers visit Arrowhead. A road trip to Seattle under the lights follows, then Kansas City Chiefs vs Broncos 2026’s earlier divisional test repeats itself — a trip to Denver on November 1, completing the home-and-home with the Broncos inside a seven-week span.
The Jets and Falcons, Then a Thanksgiving-Week Road Trip
The New York Jets visit Arrowhead before a road trip to Atlanta. Arizona comes to Kansas City before the Kansas City Chiefs Thursday Night Football 2026 stretch delivers its first test — a Thanksgiving-week Thursday night road trip to Buffalo, one of the most consequential regular-season environments in the league.
Back-to-Back Thursday Nights, Then a Loaded December
Just a week after Buffalo, Kansas City faces a second Thursday night game — a road trip to the Rams on Amazon Prime Video. A road game at Cincinnati follows before New England visits for Monday Night Football on December 21, just days before Christmas. San Francisco closes out the home slate on December 27.
Closing on the Road, With Dates Still to Be Finalized
The regular season wraps with two AFC West road trips — the Chargers, then the Raiders — though both dates carry NFL’s standard flexible-scheduling ambiguity between the listed Sunday and a possible Saturday slot the day before.
The Bottom Line
Between the Broncos home-and-home, back-to-back Thursday night road games in Buffalo and Los Angeles, and a closing stretch with two undetermined dates, this schedule tests depth and short-week recovery as much as talent. The Kansas City Chiefs football home games in 2026 include five games at Arrowhead against playoff-caliber competition, but how the team handles the Thanksgiving-into-Thursday-night double will shape the whole season.
FAQ
Q: When does the Kansas City Chiefs play their first regular-season game in 2026?
A: The Kansas City Chiefs Schedule 2026 opens on Monday Night Football against Denver on September 14, at Arrowhead Stadium, kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.
Q: When is Chiefs vs Broncos 2026?
A: Kansas City plays Denver twice in 2026 — at home on September 14 (Monday Night Football) and on the road on November 1.
Q: How many home games does the Kansas City Chiefs play in 2026?
A: The Chiefs have nine Kansas City Chiefs football home games in 2026 at Arrowhead Stadium during the regular season: Denver, Indianapolis, the Chargers, the Jets, Arizona, New England, San Francisco, and the Raiders, plus three preseason home games.
Q: How many Thursday night games does Kansas City play in 2026?
A: The Kansas City Chiefs Thursday Night Football 2026 slate includes two games — a Thanksgiving-week road trip to Buffalo on November 26, and a road trip to the Los Angeles Rams on December 3.
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