Broncos Get First Look at a Rehabbing Patrick Mahomes – Can Denver Turn Up the Heat?

When the Broncos last visited Arrowhead Stadium, Patrick Mahomes was stuck in a suite, ten days out from a major knee‑ligament operation. The Chiefs, forced to rely on third‑stringer Chris Oladokun, fell 24‑20 – their first home loss to Denver in ten years.

Fast forward less than a year, and the roles have reversed. Monday night’s Week 1 finale will see Mahomes step onto the field for the first time since his surgery, and the Broncos will be the very first squad to test a rehabilitated two‑time MVP.

“It’s still Patrick Mahomes, at the end of the day,” All‑Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II said, a sentiment echoed by many around the locker room. The Broncos aren’t planning a gentle easing‑in; they expect the same improvisational firepower that made him a three‑time Super Bowl champion.

Historically, Mahomes has been a nightmare at home against Denver. He’s 7‑0 as a starter in Arrowhead, never losing a game there. Yet the Broncos have narrowed that gap – winning four of the last five match‑ups overall, including two of the three when Mahomes started. In those three games, Denver’s defense sacked him ten times, held him to a paltry 42 rushing yards and forced three interceptions. His passer rating in those outings dipped to 77.2, while Vance Joseph’s unit pressured him on roughly 39 % of drop‑backs.

That pressure isn’t a fluke. Joseph’s scheme has consistently attacked Mahomes’ timing, shrinking his average third‑down distance to 7.4 yards. Still, a single sample size can’t tell the whole story – especially when you consider the Chiefs have struggled to support him with a credible ground game. Over his last three starts versus Denver, no Chiefs back has broken the 60‑yard mark, contributing to Kansas City’s league‑worst 31st‑ranked yards‑per‑carry (3.7) across the past two seasons.

Enter Kenneth Walker, the reigning Super Bowl MVP who signed with Kansas City in free agency after four productive years in Seattle. Walker’s most recent clash with Denver was a 2024 season‑opener in Seattle, where he ripped off 103 yards on 20 carries, 81 of which came in a decisive third‑quarter surge.

Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton summed up the challenge: “He’s an elite back. He can take the ball anywhere, so you have to contain him all over. It forces every defender to be disciplined.” Denver’s defense, which currently leads TruMedia’s rush‑success metric (opponents limited to 3.9 yards per carry), will have to stay upright without edge‑rusher Jonathan Cooper, who sits on the commissioner's exempt list pending an assault‑charge trial.

On the other side of the ball, Denver’s own quarterback Bo Nix is making his first regular‑season appearance since a broken ankle in the January playoff win over Buffalo. Nix, now under offensive coordinator Davis Webb, has posted a 108.8 passer rating in four match‑ups – his best mark against any opponent he’s faced more than once.

“Steve (Spagnuolo) loves disguising looks and throwing zone pressure,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said. “We’ll need a solid protection plan and discipline, especially in a loud Arrowhead environment.”

Both Mahomes and Nix will be tested not just by schemes but by the sheer intensity of a stadium that feeds off noise. The outcome could hint at how the AFC West shapes up this season, with Denver hoping to finally wrestle the “bad taste” of last year’s disappointment from the Chiefs’ locker room.