Top 10 Predicted Toughest Games on the Kansas City Chiefs 2025-26 Schedule

The Kansas City Chiefs are once again looking to bring home the Lombardi Trophy. They are coming off an embarrassing defeat in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

They were so close to being the first team to ever win three consecutive Super Bowls. But we move on to the future, and we reload.

The Chiefs have a tougher draw this season. I think the AFC West will be pretty competitive this year, even though it feels like we've been saying that for a while. The Broncos and Chargers are right there with them, honestly, and the Raiders are getting better.

In addition, there are a lot of prime time games that won't be easy either.

Expectations in Kansas City are still sky high. Patrick Mahomes has set the floor for this team very high.

Let's discuss which games will be the biggest challenges.

The Top Ten

Buffalo Bills (Week 9)

The Bills and Chiefs have a strong, heated rivalry. These two teams always seem to face each other in the playoffs, and they play each other pretty much every season.
The funny thing is we always win in the playoffs, but they always beat us in the regular season. For some reason, we can only beat them in the playoffs. No matter what happens, these games are always classics. Josh Allen is arguably the best quarterback in the league.
This game is going to be nothing short of a total dogfight. With two offenses being as explosive as they are, this will surely bring fireworks. In addition to that, the game is on the road at Buffalo, which only makes it more difficult. I expect this to be a close game, and I wouldn't be surprised if we happen to lose it.
Philadelphia Eagles (Week 2)

We played them in the Super Bowl and got exposed. I mean, really, we all saw the same game, right? The Chiefs will be out for revenge, especially since it's the home opener. The Eagles are a very talented team, and they bring almost everyone back from that Super Bowl team.
This'll definitely be an early season test to see where exactly we stand. I expect this game to be closer than the Super Bowl was, especially at Arrowhead, but I do think the Chiefs will struggle to win this one, honestly. The Eagles just don't make a lot of mistakes, and they don't really have many weaknesses.
This is an early season game too, so there's a lot these two teams will be figuring out. And of course, for us, we have no Rashee Rice, as he's suspended for the first six games, so that'll be a tough blow for us.
Baltimore Ravens (Week 4)

The Ravens and Chiefs always play each other close. These games are normally really good and always come down to the wire.
The Ravens have a solid offensive attack, especially the run game with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Lamar has been playing at an MVP-caliber level for years now. The Ravens are one of those teams that always seem to be very formidable and well-rounded. They don't necessarily have a ton of weaknesses.
This game is early enough in the season that teams are still figuring things out and finding their identity, and there's the added element of Rashee Rice being suspended for this game, making it more difficult.
Detroit Lions (Week 6)

The Lions are coming off their best season in franchise history, and this game is relatively early in the season, so they should be back healthy again.
Remember, last year they were demolishing teams left and right. The Lions are one of those teams that has been knocking on the door of a Super Bowl forever and finally have a realistic shot at winning the championship.
The Lions' offense is very deadly and explosive, and they have a pretty good defense too. The last time these two teams played, the Lions actually beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead. This one should be a fun shootout game. This is a team, on paper, that can absolutely win it all. I'd expect this one to be pretty close, all things considered.
Washington Commanders (Week 8)

The Commies were the surprise Cinderella team last year. Jayden Daniels took the league by storm last season, and this team made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
They added a lot of veteran talent in the offseason. They have Scary Terry on offense. They added Laremy Tunsil in the offseason. This is a team that, on paper, can be very dangerous once again.
This game should be a fun shootout-style game.
Los Angeles Chargers (Week 1)

This is a unique game just because international games are different. The Chiefs open the season playing in Brazil, and it's a division opponent, which makes it even more challenging because those are the teams most familiar with the Chiefs.
The Chargers have a solid team. Justin Herbert is arguably a top 10 quarterback in the league. Ladd McConkey is a promising young wide receiver. They have a good running game. The defense is decent, and Jim Harbaugh is a good coach who has already gotten them to the playoffs.
This is just one of those games that provides a unique challenge. Being international brings a lot of travel and jet lag into the equation, and of course, the fact it's in Week 1 doesn't make it any easier.
Denver Broncos (Week 11)

This game is definitely the tougher of the two because it's at Denver, which is always going to be a tough place to play. It's a rivalry game, and obviously the altitude creates its own unique challenges. The Broncos are a very formidable team and a division rival on top of that. They have a great defense and a decent offense.
Bo Nix is coming off an impressive season, and this was a playoff team last year. They nearly swept us last season if not for a blocked field goal. They beat us here last season. That was a Week 18 game that didn't matter for us, but the point still remains.
This game is directly after our bye week as well, which should help us get everybody healthy. This should be a good game, but it will be a difficult one for us to win. We always seem to struggle playing in Denver regardless of records.
Houston Texans (Week 14)

The Texans are a young and hungry team, eager to step up to the next echelon of teams. I don't think they're Super Bowl contenders yet, but they are still very good.
Last year was a bit of a step back. However, they have all the pieces to be a formidable playoff team. I feel like we always play the Texans close, no matter what records may indicate.
It's a Sunday Night game at Arrowhead, so the Chiefs should win, but the Texans do have a young, hungry defense that's honestly one of the better defenses in the league. This is a very feisty team that is no joke, especially if CJ Stroud returns to rookie form.
Los Angeles Chargers (Week 15)

This game is a very late season game, which means it might not be that important in the grand scheme of things. Ideally, the Chiefs should have the division close to locked down by this point, but you never know.
Obviously, we play the Chargers at the very beginning of the season, and a lot can happen between that game and this one. This is at Arrowhead, so the Chiefs, in theory, should be favored to win.
I expect us to win this game, but in the end, it could be one of those games where we get caught overlooking an opponent. Hopefully, it doesn't matter a whole lot, but in the off chance it does matter, this is a game we can't overlook.
Denver Broncos (Week 17)

Very similar case as the Chargers. I honestly debated including this game because it is very late in the season, so it's possible that it doesn't end up being important at all. The Chiefs, at that point in the season, may opt to rest the starters.
However, it's a rivalry game, and on the flip side of things, it might end up mattering quite a bit, especially if the Chiefs are trying to lock up the bye week. It'll almost certainly be an important game for the Broncos, who may be trying to lock up a playoff spot.
This game is at Arrowhead, which is slightly more favorable for us, but Denver definitely has the talent to win. They were a blocked field goal away from sweeping the Chiefs last year. So the Broncos aren't going to roll over and hand this game to us.