Chiefs-Broncos Rivalry
A historic AFL rivalry defined by decades of dominance shifts and memorable comebacks.
The Broncos–Chiefs rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. Since the American Football League was established in 1960, the Broncos and the Chiefs have shared the same division, first being the AFL Western Conference, and since the AFL–NFL merger, the AFC West. For years, the rivalry has featured two of the best home-field advantages in the league. CBS ranked this rivalry as the No. 4 NFL rivalry of the 1990s in 2020.
Lore & Background
The Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Broncos in the 1960s, winning 19 of 20 games. The Texans won all six meetings in the rivalry's first three years before moving to Kansas City in 1963. The Broncos have responded since then, winning the series from the 1970s to 2000s. The Chiefs snapped this streak in the 2010s when they won 11–9.
In the 2010s, Peyton Manning went 7–1 against the Chiefs as a member of the Broncos from 2012 to 2015. The Chiefs took control of the series after defeating the Broncos in 2015 in the final meeting with Manning at quarterback, starting a 16-game win streak for Kansas City over Denver. Until 2023, the Chiefs had gone 15–0 against the Broncos since Manning retired following the 2015 season, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his first 12 career starts against Denver.
Combined, the two teams have won the last 16 AFC West Division titles from 2010 through the end of the 2025 season, and were the only teams to win the AFC West in the 2010s. The Chiefs lead the overall series, 73–59. The two teams have met once in the playoffs, with the Broncos winning.
Reader's Guide
Notable moments include: September 17, 1990: Broncos' John Elway engineered a comeback, with kicker David Treadwell hitting a 22-yard field goal as time expired. October 4, 1992: Elway threw two late touchdown passes for a 20–19 comeback win. December 27, 1992: Chiefs routed Broncos 42–20, with Chiefs' defense scoring three touchdowns off turnovers. October 17, 1994: Joe Montana connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Willie Davis with eight seconds left for a 31–28 Chiefs win.
December 4, 1994: Broncos won 20–17 in overtime after a blocked field goal. November 16, 1997: Chiefs won 24–22 on a last-second 54-yard field goal. January 4, 1998: Broncos defeated Chiefs 14–10 in the divisional round of the playoffs. October 5, 2003: Dante Hall returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown for a 24–23 Chiefs win.
November 14, 2010: Broncos led 35–0 at halftime and won 49–29. September 17, 2015: Broncos won 31–24 on a fumble return touchdown. November 15, 2015: Chiefs won 29–13, holding Peyton Manning to 35 yards and four interceptions. November 27, 2016: Chiefs tied the game with 12 seconds left and won in overtime.
More in Stadium & Fan Culture
Elsewhere in Kansas City Chiefs
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced