Tonight, the Broncos will go for their 13th win of the season. It’s something coach Sean Payton has accomplished four times in his tenure with the Saints.
Barring what would be one of the biggest upsets of the year, the two-touchdown-favored Broncos will get there. And Payton will join former Browns and Patriots coach Bill Belichick as the only coaches with five 13-win seasons.
Payton has a bigger goal that would be unprecedented. No coach has won a Super Bowl with two different franchises. And the Broncos, if they win out, will be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, putting them a pair of home games from getting to Santa Clara, for the first Super Bowl played there since the last time the Broncos won it.
Payton previously did it in 2009, 2011, 2018, and 2019. Belichick did it seven times: 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, and 2017.
Several coaches have taken two teams to a Super Bowl — Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Dick Vermeil, Mike Holmgren, John Fox, and Andy Reid. None has ever won it with two different teams.
And every coach who has won a Super Bowl with one team before moving on to another team is well aware of the fact that no one has won it with two franchises.
Others current coaches have a shot over the balance of their careers to win a Super Bowl with a second team include Nick Sirianni (if he ends up with another team), Reid (if he ends up with a third team), Sean McVay (if he coaches a different team at some point), Belichick (if he makes his way back to the NFL and it goes far differently than his year at UNC), Pete Carroll, and John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin (if either or both make a fresh start in the coming years).
Jon Gruden also has a shot, if he returns to coach a team other than the Buccaneers.
For now, Payton has the best opportunity to do it, sooner than later.
Chiefs Clips
The Chiefs are massive underdogs like they haven’t been in over a decade for tonight’s game against the Broncos.
Denver is a 13.5-point favorite at Kansas City, the first time the Chiefs have been underdogs by more than 12 points since December 29, 2013, when they were 14.5-point underdogs at the Chargers.
When the Chiefs were 14.5-point underdogs, it wasn’t because they were a bad team, it was because they were resting their starters for the final game of the regular season after clinching their playoff position.
Tonight, the Chiefs are massive underdogs because they’re a 6-9 team, mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, starting third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun against a Broncos team that has the best record in the NFL.
When the NFL scheduled Broncos-Chiefs for Christmas night, the league couldn’t have imagined that the Chiefs would have fallen as far as they have. The Chiefs are as bad as they’ve been in a long, long time.
Last year’s Christmas games, at least on paper, were good. (The games themselves, not.)
This year, the NFL’s three-pack of December 25 offerings are roughly the equivalent of a bowling ball, a can of Simoniz, and mismatched dress socks.
Despite the relentless hype, the games have no inherent appeal. Cowboys-Commanders, which starts the day, includes two teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention. It also features a 39-year-old, third-string quarterback (Josh Johnson) for the home team. Yes, it’s the Cowboys. But who really cares?
The second game has the Lions, who are clinging to wafer thin playoff hopes, against a Vikings team led by a rookie free agent (Max Brosmer) whose only other start was a 26-0 disaster in Seattle.
Then comes the night game, starring the Chiefs — who suddenly look like anything but the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is out. His backup, Gardner Minshew, is out. The quarterbacks for the home team will be Chris Oladokun and Shane Buechele. The Broncos, at 12-3, are favored by 13.5 points in the first game to be played at Arrowhead Stadium since the team’s eventual move to Kansas was announced on Monday.
Whatever the audience numbers may be for the three games, the P.R. execs will try to find a way to paint the glass of eggnog as half full. Even with the new Nielsen metric that has pumped up numbers across the board, it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping what they’re doing to watch any of these games.
They’ll probably still beat the NBA games easily. But the NFL games may not win by the usual wide margin.
The Broncos have ruled five players out for their Christmas game against the Chiefs.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is part of that group. Greenlaw injured his hamstring in last Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars and will miss his eighth game of the season.
Center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) has not missed any offensive snaps this season, but he will not be taking any on Thursday. Alex Forsyth is listed as Wattenberg’s backup on the team’s depth chart.
Wide receiver Pat Bryant (concussion), tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and linebacker Karene Reid (hamstring) have also been ruled out.
Linebacker Justin Strnad (foot) has no injury designation, which indicates he will be back in action after missing the Jaguars game.
The Chiefs opened their 2026 season without wide receiver Rashee Rice and they’ll close it the same way.
Rice served a six-game suspension to open the season and he will not play in the team’s final two games due to a concussion. Rice was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.
The Chiefs also placed cornerback Trent McDuffie (knee), wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (concussion), and cornerback Jaylen Watson (groin) on injured reserve. They filled those roster spots by signing defensive end Ethan Downs, cornerback Melvin Smith, and tight end Tyreke Smith to the active roster while also activating cornerback Nazeeh Johnson from injured reserve.
Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (knee), defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (illness), wide receiver Nikko Remigio (knee), defensive end George Karlaftis (illness), and linebacker Nick Bolton (illness) are listed as questionable for Thursday’s game against the Broncos. Tight end Jake Briningstool (hamstring) has been ruled out.
It’s been a decade since the Broncos beat the Chiefs in Kansas City. If the Chiefs extend that streak on Christmas night, it will be a major surprise.
With both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew out due to knee injuries, the options at quarterback for the home team are Chris Oladukon and Shane Buechele. And the Chiefs are 6-9. And the Broncos are 12-3.
As a result, the Broncos are currently favored by 13.5 points.
What does Denver coach Sean Payton think about the double-digit point spread?
“We don’t really pay attention to that,” Payton told reporters. “We try to stay in touch with the game. This game specifically — every one of these players understands the significance of where we’re at with two games left in the season. We don’t really follow the spread honestly. There’s just too many other things — this is a three-day work week, so today’s meeting this morning was where we’re at, the opponent we’re playing, what has taken place since the last time we played them. There’s carryover. I think for both teams on a short week, there are defenses and offenses maybe, plays that neither one of got to use in the first game that still may apply. So that helps.”
It also helps that the Chiefs are extremely shorthanded at the most important position on the team, and that they’re playing out the string for the first time since 2012, during Romeo Crennel’s lone (and disastrous) 2-14 season as head coach.
That led to the arrival of Andy Reid in 2013, followed by a run of relevance that never (until last Sunday against the Titans) had the Chiefs playing a game while eliminated from playoff contention. And it has resulted in the Chiefs beating the Broncos at home every year since 2016, capped by last year’s improbable victory on the last-play block of a potential game-winning Denver field goal.
It likely won’t be so close this time around.
After three straight Super Bowl runs, and five in six seasons, the combination of fatigue, disappointment, and the inherent distractions of a holiday week could be the ingredients for the Broncos covering the spread easily. Throw in the fact that the Chiefs and Kansas timed the announcement that the team will leave Arrowhead Stadium after the 2030 season, and plenty of fans may decide to take Christmas off from their commitment to show up and support the team.
The only question, frankly, is whether anyone will bother to watch the standalone prime-time game on Prime Video. If they do, the reason won’t be to watch the Chiefs.
Unless, of course, the goal is to enjoy watching them lose, after so many seasons of dominating Denver, and pretty much the rest of the league.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw remained out of practice on Tuesday, two days before the Broncos play the Chiefs. That does not bode well for his availability.
Greenlaw injured his hamstring during Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, playing 50 of 70 defensive snaps.
The team’s estimated practice report did not change from Monday.
Tight end Nate Adkins (knee), wide receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) and center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) also were listed as non-participants for a second consecutive day.
Linebacker Justin Strnad (foot) remained a full participant and on track for a return after being injured in the Week 15 game against the Packers and missing Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars.
The Chiefs will cross the border from Missouri to Kansas, in 2031.
The team’s decision was characterized by one key Missouri politician as a stunner.
“No matter how long we had to . . . think about this as a possibility, it’s still a shock to the system,” Missouri House Speaker Jonathan Patterson told the Kansas City Star.
It shouldn’t have been. It was, as it usually is, about money. Jackson County, Missouri, voters overwhelmingly rejected in April 2024 the potential extension of an existing sales tax to fund a renovation at Arrowhead Stadium, along with a new park for the Kansas City Royals. Kansas was able to come up with a better deal, for a more versatile (but not necessarily better) domed football stadium that can host other events and presumably attract a Super Bowl.
“Unfortunately, team ownership has decided to abandon Lamar Hunt’s legacy at the iconic Arrowhead Stadium, a place that Chiefs fans have rallied around since 1972,” Governor Mike Kehoe said in a statement. “At Arrowhead, every game feels like a Super Bowl. No new stadium will replicate that.”
And Missouri isn’t surrendering, at least not yet.
“Missourians do not give up easily,” Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota told the Star. “The Chiefs are still Jackson County’s team for many years and we will remain supportive of them but also are here with a plan in case the ‘shock and awe’ Kansas proposal isn’t as wonderful as we are hearing it is.”
Regardless, Missouri had its chance. Even when Kansas emerged as a viable alternative, Missouri didn’t seem to muster the necessary urgency to keep the Chiefs from moving across the border.
The people spoke in 2024. Loudly and clearly. They opted not to pay extra sales taxes to partially fund renovations to a stadium that most teams can now easily afford to finance on their own. Kansas saw an opportunity (without having to hold a public vote) to pay for well over half of a multi-billion-dollar facility. As Kansas prepared to pounce, Missouri remained paralyzed.
And while some politicians will inevitable blame other politicians — because everything for politicians has a political angle — the simple truth is that the citizens of Jackson County rejected the opportunity to pay for the renovation. And that opened the door for the Chiefs to pack up and move to a new home on the other side of the border.
The AFC and NFC rosters for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games were announced on Tuesday morning.
Votes from fans, coaches and players were used to select the teams. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce led the fan vote and was named to his 11th Pro Bowl. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, and Bears safety Kevin Byard were the other leaders in that vote, but Williams is not on the initial NFC roster.
Chargers tackle Joe Alt did make the AFC roster despite playing in only six games before being shut down with an ankle injury.
Three teams — the Jets, Saints and Vikings — have no Pro Bowlers. The Broncos, 49ers, Ravens, and Seahawks each had six players selected.
The Pro Bowl Games will be held in San Francisco on February
The full rosters appear below with starters indicated by an asterisk.
AFC
Quarterback: Josh Allen*, Buffalo Bills; Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers; Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Running back: De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins; James Cook, Buffalo Bills; Jonathan Taylor*, Indianapolis Colts
Fullback: Patrick Ricard*, Baltimore Ravens
Wide receiver: Ja’Marr Chase*, Cincinnati Bengals; Nico Collins*, Houston Texans; Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens; Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Tight end: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders*; Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Offensive tackle: Joe Alt*, Los Angeles Chargers; Garett Bolles*, Denver Broncos; Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills
Offensive guard: Quinn Meinerz*, Denver Broncos; Quenton Nelson*, Indianapolis Colts; Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Center: Creed Humphrey*, Kansas City Chiefs; Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
Defensive end: Will Anderson Jr.*, Houston Texans; Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders; Myles Garrett*, Cleveland Browns
Interior linemen: Zach Allen, Denver Broncos; Chris Jones*, Kansas City Chiefs; Jeffrey Simmons*, Tennessee Titans
Outside linebacker: Nik Bonitto*, Denver Broncos; Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers; T.J. Watt*, Pittsburgh Steelers
Inside/middle linebacker: Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans; Roquan Smith*, Baltimore Ravens
Cornerback: Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots; Derek Stingley Jr.*, Houston Texans; Pat Surtain II*, Denver Broncos; Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
Free safety: Jalen Ramsey*, Pittsburgh Steelers
Strong safety: Kyle Hamilton*, Baltimore Ravens; Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
Long-snapper: Ross Matiscik*, Jacksonville Jaguars
Punter: Jordan Stout*, Baltimore Ravens
Place-kicker: Cameron Dicker*, Los Angeles Chargers
Return specialist: Chimere Dike*, Tennessee Titans
Special-teamer: Ben Skowronek*, Pittsburgh
NFC
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford*, Los Angeles Rams; Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks; Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Running back: Jahmyr Gibbs*, Detroit Lions; Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers; Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk*, San Francisco 49ers
Wide receiver: Puka Nacua*, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba*, Seattle Seahawks; George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Tight end: Trey McBride*, Arizona Cardinals; George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive tackle: Penei Sewell*, Detroit Lions; Tristan Wirfs* Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive guard: Tyler Smith*, Dallas Cowboys; Joe Thuney*, Chicago Bears; Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
Center: Drew Dalman*, Chicago Bears; Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles
Defensive end: Aidan Hutchinson*, Detroit Lions; Micah Parsons*, Green Bay Packers; DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks
Interior linemen: Jalen Carter*, Philadelphia Eagles; Leonard Williams*, Seattle Seahawks, Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Outside linebacker: Brian Burns*, New York Giants, Jared Verse*, Los Angeles Rams; Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
Inside/middle linebacker: Jack Campbell*, Detroit Lions; Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
Cornerback: Jaycee Horn*, Carolina Panthers; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
Free safety: Kevin Byard III*, Chicago Bears; Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Strong safety: Budda Baker*, Arizona Cardinals
Long-snapper: Jon Weeks*, San Francisco 49ers
Punter: Tress Way*, Washington Commanders
Placekicker: Brandon Aubrey*, Dallas Cowboys
Return specialist: Rashid Shaheed*, Seattle Seahawks
Special-teamer: Luke Gifford*, San Francisco 49ers
Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw injured his hamstring during Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. He played 50 of 70 defensive snaps.
The team estimated Greenlaw as a non-participant on Monday’s practice report.
The Broncos, though, could see the return of linebacker Justin Strnad (foot). Strnad was among the players the Broncos listed as full participants ahead of the Christmas Day game against the Chiefs.
Strnad injured his foot in the Broncos’ Week 15 game against the Packers and missed Sunday’s game after not practicing last week.
In 14 games this season, including seven starts, he has 50 tackles, four tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, two passes defensed and an interception.
The Broncos estimated tight end Nate Adkins (knee), wide receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) and center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) as non-participants.
Every other player on the report was listed as a full participant, including cornerback Riley Moss (ankle) and guard Ben Powers (biceps).
