Patrick Mahomes made a strong return to the NFL on Monday night, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. The game marked Mahomes’ first outing since undergoing surgery for a torn ACL exactly nine months earlier, and he displayed no obvious lingering effects from the injury. Mahomes threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score, demonstrating the mobility and effectiveness that have defined his career.
Kenneth Walker III, in his debut with the Chiefs, was a standout performer, rushing for 173 yards on 23 carries and scoring twice. His performance marked the highest single-game rushing total for Kansas City since Jamaal Charles in 2012. Walker also contributed three receptions for 18 yards. “Against this team, you have to set a tone and [our] offensive line and those running backs did that,” Mahomes said after the game.
The Chiefs quickly set the pace, with Mahomes opening the scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, quieting concerns about his surgically repaired knee and the brace he wore during the game. After the Broncos managed to even the score on a Bo Nix touchdown pass to Evan Engram, Kansas City responded with a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped by a Mahomes touchdown pass to Rashee Rice, who recently returned from a knee injury himself.
Walker's impact was most notable early in the third quarter, when he converted a fourth-and-one with a 60-yard touchdown run. The Broncos and Chiefs traded field goals later in the quarter, with Denver’s Brandon Jones intercepting Mahomes and setting up kicker Wil Lutz for a chip-shot field goal. Mahomes then connected with tight end Travis Kelce on a 59-yard play, which set up a Harrison Butker field goal for the Chiefs.
Denver’s offense struggled throughout the game under new coordinator Davis Webb. Bo Nix completed 131 yards passing but was hampered by a turnover and an interception, while the Broncos managed only 176 yards of total offense. Their offseason acquisition, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who was traded for a significant package of draft picks, had one catch for two yards and dropped a critical third-down pass.
The Chiefs closed out the contest after Nix’s fumble gave them possession deep in Denver territory. Mahomes completed a key 26-yard pass to rookie Emmett Johnson on a third-down play, setting up first-and-goal at the two-yard line. In a creative play recalling Kansas City’s previous championship runs, Mahomes lined up in a three-point stance alongside backup quarterback Justin Fields before shoveling the ball to Walker, who ran untouched into the end zone.
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Kansas City against Denver and gave the Chiefs a positive start to the season, showcasing Mahomes’ recovery and the immediate impact of Walker’s arrival. Meanwhile, the Broncos will look to improve as they adjust to a new offensive system under coordinator Davis Webb.