Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs opened the 2026 season with a 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos, getting a dominant performance from Kenneth Walker III, three total touchdowns from Patrick Mahomes and another big night from Travis Kelce. Kansas City’s defense also forced multiple turnovers and held Bo Nix and Denver’s offense to 176 total yards.
The Chiefs did, however, lose two defensive players to injuries early in the game. Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane left after making an interception on Denver’s third play of the night, while linebacker Cooper McDonald exited with a knee injury in the first half. Neither player returned to the game.
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Reid addressed both injuries after the win.
“As far as injuries go, (Mansoor) Delane hurt his shoulder, we’ll see where that goes. (Cooper) McDonald hurt his knee, we’ve got to see the next few days here where it goes for those guys” (h/t Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports).
Delane made an immediate impact before his injury. The Chiefs traded up to select the LSU cornerback No. 6 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he intercepted Bo Nix on Denver’s opening possession. Delane was tackled after the return and landed on his right shoulder before being helped to the locker room.
McDonald’s injury came shortly afterward on a kickoff play. The linebacker was a seventh-round pick by Kansas City in 2025 and appeared in all 17 games as a rookie, starting one and finishing with 25 tackles.
Kansas City’s defense maintained control despite losing both players, but the Chiefs will hope neither injury is serious. The team has a short turnaround before hosting the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. ET.
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