The NFL Is Back: A 2026 Season Packed With Storylines, Rivalries and Prime-Time Magic

“For Chiefs fans, Monday night at Arrowhead is the beginning of a new chapter.”

There is nothing quite like the return of the NFL. The packed stadiums, the traditions, the tailgates, the noise, the rivalries, the unbelievable plays and those intense moments that can change a game in an instant are all back. Even the sounds of the season have a way of making football feel different. The theme songs, the familiar voices of the broadcasters and the roar of a stadium packed with fans all send the same message: football is back.

The 2026 NFL season officially got underway on Wednesday, September 9, when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosted the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 60. Seattle won that game 13-10, beginning its title defense with another victory over New England. But for many fans, the NFL feels truly back on Sunday night, when the familiar opening of Sunday Night Football returns to NBC.

And then there is Monday night.

For me, that is where the excitement really hits another level because my Kansas City Chiefs are about to begin their season. Kansas City opens against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium, giving the Chiefs one of the biggest stages possible for the beginning of a new chapter.

A New Season, and a New Opportunity for Kansas City

The Chiefs enter 2026 with something they are not used to having: something to prove.

Kansas City missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time since 2014, ending a remarkable streak that included 10 consecutive playoff appearances and seven straight AFC Championship Game appearances.

That makes this season fascinating.

The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, but the roster has changed significantly. Kansas City added running back Kenneth Walker III, quarterback Justin Fields, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and safety Alohi Gilman. The team also moved on from several familiar faces, including Isiah Pacheco, Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Trent McDuffie.

Mahomes is obviously the biggest storyline.

He suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 15 last year, and his recovery has been watched closely all offseason. The encouraging news for Chiefs fans is that Mahomes returned to full participation in practice heading into Week 1.

There is also plenty of excitement around the Chiefs' new-look running game. Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl 60 MVP with Seattle, is now in Kansas City. That gives the Chiefs another major offensive weapon while creating one of the most interesting storylines of the season: Walker will eventually face his former team when Kansas City visits Seattle on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.

Travis Kelce is another huge part of this story. He returns for his 14th NFL season after leading Kansas City in receptions and receiving yards in 2025 and breaking the Chiefs' all-time touchdown record.

There are questions, but there is also tremendous opportunity. Kansas City knows what it is capable of when everything comes together. Now the challenge is proving that last season was an interruption rather than the beginning of a decline.

The Game That Starts It All for the Chiefs

That opportunity begins Monday night.

The Broncos and Chiefs meet at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium at 7:15 p.m. Central, on ESPN and ABC. It is not just the first game of Kansas City's season. It is a rematch against the Denver team that ended the Chiefs' nine-year reign atop the AFC West.

That makes the matchup even more meaningful.

Denver also has questions of its own, particularly around quarterback Bo Nix, who is returning from the ankle injury that kept him out of the AFC Championship Game last season.

So this is much more than a normal Week 1 matchup. It is Mahomes versus Nix. Andy Reid versus Sean Payton. The Chiefs trying to reclaim their place in the AFC West against the team that took the division away from them.

And for Chiefs fans, it is also the first chance to see what this new roster looks like when the games actually count.

Sunday Night Football Returns

Before Monday night arrives, there is Sunday Night Football.

Tonight, September 13, the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants in the first regular-season Sunday Night Football broadcast of 2026. It is a rivalry that has become a familiar part of NBC's prime-time package, with this marking the 14th Cowboys-Giants meeting on Sunday Night Football.

There is plenty of intrigue surrounding both teams.

Dak Prescott leads Dallas into another season with expectations that are always sky-high for the Cowboys, while New York begins the John Harbaugh era and turns to quarterback Jaxson Dart. The Giants-Cowboys rivalry already has history, but adding Harbaugh's debut to the story makes tonight's game even more interesting.

Then there is the broadcast itself.

Carrie Underwood returns for her 14th consecutive season as the star of the Sunday Night Football show open, and the 2026 version of the opening will debut before Cowboys-Giants. Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will be in the booth, with Melissa Stark reporting from the sideline.

That is one of those moments that gives me chills.

Hearing that familiar music, hearing Mike Tirico's voice and knowing that an entire Sunday night is about to revolve around one football game makes it feel official. The NFL season is not just back on the calendar. It is back in the atmosphere.

The Matchups I Cannot Wait to See

There are so many games on the 2026 schedule that could become unforgettable, but a few immediately stand out.

One of the biggest is Kansas City at Buffalo on Thanksgiving night. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have built one of the defining quarterback rivalries of this generation, and now they will meet on Thanksgiving in a game that could have major playoff implications. The Chiefs and Bills have split their 10 meetings during the 2020s, while Kansas City has won all four playoff meetings between them.

Then there is Kansas City at Seattle on October 25. The defending Super Bowl champions will face the team that has won it all, while Kenneth Walker III returns to Seattle for the first time as a member of the Chiefs. That alone would make the game compelling. Add Mahomes and the Seahawks' championship defense, and it becomes one of the most intriguing games of the year.

The Rams and Seahawks rivalry is another one to circle. NFL.com ranked the Rams-Seahawks meeting in Seattle on December 25 as its No. 1 game to watch on its 2026 schedule list, noting that the NFC West rivals produced multiple classics last season. Both teams enter 2026 with legitimate championship aspirations.

Another fascinating matchup comes in Week 3 when the Los Angeles Rams visit the Denver Broncos. It brings together Sean McVay and Sean Payton, two Super Bowl-winning coaches, while putting Matthew Stafford and Bo Nix on the same field.

And we cannot forget San Francisco versus Los Angeles in Australia. The 49ers and Rams met in Melbourne in Week 1 for the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Australia, making the matchup historic before a single snap was played.

There is also a growing group of teams that could challenge for Super Bowl 61. NFL.com's preseason predictions had the Los Angeles Rams as the leading choice among its analysts, with the defending champion Seahawks, Patriots, Chiefs, Bills and other contenders also receiving serious consideration.

That is what makes the NFL so much fun: nobody knows which of these storylines will become the stories everyone remembers.

The Sounds of Football Are Back

The games themselves are only part of what makes the NFL special.

The voices matter.

Ian Eagle, Jim Nantz, Kevin Harlan, Mike Tirico and Joe Buck are among the broadcasters whose voices have become part of the fabric of football season. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman return as ESPN's Monday Night Football team, beginning with Broncos-Chiefs, while Kevin Harlan continues calling NFL games for Westwood One and CBS.

For me, broadcasters can make a game feel bigger.

Kevin Harlan is a perfect example. Whether he is calling a Monday Night Football game, a playoff game or the Super Bowl for Westwood One, he has a way of making even the biggest moments feel enormous. Joe Buck has a similar ability on television, and hearing him open Monday Night Football brings a sense that a major football night is underway.

Then there are the theme songs.

Carrie Underwood's Sunday Night Football opening. The Monday Night Football music. The familiar introductions. The crowd noise. The stadium sounds.

Those little things are part of the NFL experience.

An NFL Season Full of Possibilities

The 2026 NFL season is already underway, but it feels like we are only getting started.

The defending champion Seahawks are trying to repeat. The Patriots are trying to get back to the Super Bowl. The Rams are entering the year with enormous expectations. The Bills are still searching for the breakthrough that has eluded them. The Broncos are trying to prove last year's AFC West championship was only the beginning.

And in Kansas City, the Chiefs are trying to show that last season was an exception.

For Chiefs fans, it begins Monday night at Arrowhead.

For NFL fans, it begins again every week, in every stadium, with every rivalry, every big hit, every fourth-down decision, every unbelievable catch and every moment that makes us jump out of our seats.

That is why I love this time of year.

The stadiums are packed. The tailgates are going. The traditions are back. The broadcasters are at the microphones. The theme songs are playing. The fans are loud. And football is once again taking over Sundays, Mondays and, before long, every part of the week.

The 2026 NFL season is here.

And I cannot wait to see where it takes us.