The schedule makers really did it this time. Honestly, if you’re a Kansas City fan, looking at the chiefs schedule this year feels a bit like staring at a jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces are from a different box. We’ve got a Friday night opener in South America, a Christmas Day game on a Thursday, and a Thanksgiving showdown in Dallas. It's basically a logistical nightmare wrapped in a red and gold jersey.
You’ve probably heard the buzz already. This isn’t just a "tough" schedule; it’s a historic one. The NFL decided to hand Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes seven primetime games. That’s a lot of late nights for those of us trying to wake up for work the next morning.
The Brazil Opener and the Primetime Problem
Everything kicks off with a weird one. Friday, September 5th. The Chiefs aren’t at Arrowhead, and they aren’t even in the United States. They’re heading down to São Paulo, Brazil, to face the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena.
It’s the first-ever NFL game broadcast on YouTube. Think about that. No cable, no network TV—just a Friday night stream from South America.
People are kinda split on this. On one hand, it’s cool to see the "Global Markets Program" in action. On the other hand, the Chiefs lost that game 27-21. It set a weird tone for the season. Following up a long flight like that with a Week 2 home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles—the team that beat them in Super Bowl LIX—was a brutal "welcome back" to the grind.
Here is the thing about the chiefs schedule this year: it never lets up. Between September and the end of October, the team barely had time to breathe.
- Week 3: A Sunday Night Football trip to MetLife Stadium to play the Giants.
- Week 4: Back home for the Ravens (Mahomes vs. Jackson is always a circus).
- Week 5: Monday Night Football in Jacksonville.
- Week 6: Another Sunday night game, this time against the Detroit Lions.
By the time they hit the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7, the team looked gassed. You could see it in the way Mahomes was moving. The offensive line, led by rookie Josh Simmons at left tackle, was struggling to keep the pocket clean. Mahomes took a career-high 36 sacks in the regular season, and most of that damage happened during this early-season gauntlet.
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The Holiday Grind Nobody Talked About Enough
We need to talk about November and December because they were legitimately insane. Most teams get a "normal" routine. The Chiefs got a Thanksgiving game and a Christmas game in the same month.
On Thursday, November 27th, the Chiefs headed to Arlington to play the Dallas Cowboys. It was only the second time the Chiefs had ever played on Thanksgiving (the last was in 1995). They lost 31-28 in a heartbreaker. But there was no time to pout. After a rough December loss to the Houston Texans and a narrow defeat by the Chargers at home, they had to prepare for Christmas.
The December 25th game against the Denver Broncos was the third year in a row the Chiefs played on Christmas Day. Playing on a Thursday after a Sunday game is hard enough, but doing it on a holiday? It’s a lot. The Broncos ended up taking that one 20-13, which was a huge blow to the division standings.
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Why the Schedule Actually Broke the Season
If you look at the raw data, the "strength of schedule" based on 2024 records was .522. That doesn't sound too bad until you realize the Chiefs were essentially "waving the white flag" by late December.
Injuries piled up because there was no rhythm. Rashee Rice went down with a concussion. Trent McDuffie’s knee gave out. Jaylen Watson and Tyquan Thornton were moved to IR right before the final stretch.
Basically, the chiefs schedule this year was designed for TV ratings, not for player longevity. Seven primetime games sounds great for the brand, but it's miserable for recovery. You're constantly switching from Sunday games to Monday nights, then to Thursdays.
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Key Matchups Recap
- The Brazil Game: September 5th vs. Chargers (L 27-21).
- The Super Bowl Rematch: September 14th vs. Eagles (L 20-17).
- The Thanksgiving Classic: November 27th @ Cowboys (L 31-28).
- The Christmas Clash: December 25th vs. Broncos (L 20-13).
It’s rare to see a Mahomes-led team struggle this much in the win-loss column, but when you’re playing the Ravens, Bills, Lions, and Eagles all in the first half of the season, the margin for error is zero.
What We Learned for Next Year
So, what’s the takeaway? First, the "three-peat" dream is officially on ice. Falling short of immortality is tough, but the roster needs a reset. The experiment with Josh Simmons at left tackle showed promise, but his patellar tendon injury from college clearly hampered his speed against elite edge rushers.
The defense, which carried the team for much of last year, looked human. Losing Justin Reid and L'Jarius Sneed (in previous years) finally caught up to the secondary. Even Steve Spagnuolo’s magic had limits when he was starting practice squad players like Ethan Downs and Melvin Smith in Week 17.
If you’re planning your life around the chiefs schedule this year, hopefully you’ve already checked off the big dates. The regular season ended on January 4, 2026, with a loss to the Raiders in Vegas. It wasn't the ending anyone in KC wanted.
To stay ahead for the 2026 cycle, keep an eye on the free agency status of Jaylen Watson and Tyquan Thornton. The front office has some massive decisions to make regarding the receiving corps, especially since the "Year 2 leap" for Xavier Worthy was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise exhausting season.
Check the official NFL standings to see where the Chiefs landed in the draft order—it’s going to be their highest pick in a long, long time. Stop by the Chiefs' official site or the NFL app to track the 2026 opponent reveals, which usually drop shortly after the Super Bowl. You'll want to see if the league gives them another three-continent tour or finally lets them play a normal Sunday schedule for once.