Here's what the wiki has on Patrick Mahomes' 2026 Week 1 return vs. the Broncos:
Recovery status: Mahomes is returning from ACL/LCL surgery (suffered late 2025) and achieved full clearance for training camp by August. He acknowledged the injury will likely linger for "the rest of my career," but felt "stronger than I've ever felt" by late July (from the Patrick Mahomes II page).
The matchup: Week 1 vs. Denver (Sept 14) was always the target — and he's on track for it. The Broncos defense under Vance Joseph has historically been tough on QBs — Mahomes' best fantasy performance against them since Sean Payton/Vance Joseph arrived was just 19.3 points, per one expert.
Expert take: On The Fantasy Headliners, they noted Mahomes faced this Broncos defense once last season and put up 276 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT — and now he's returning from ACL/LCL surgery "without taking a single preseason snap" with left tackle Josh Simmons also banged up. There's some concern about rust and limited WR weapons beyond Rashee Rice and an aging Travis Kelce.
Bottom line: Mahomes is a low-end QB1 / high-end QB2 for this specific game. The matchup is tough, the receiving corps is questionable, and he's shaking off a major injury. But his rushing upside and Andy Reid's scheme give him a path to a solid fantasy day even in a suppressed outing.