When the 2025 NFL schedule dropped, it looked like one of the biggest games of the year, certainly for fans inside Broncos Country.
That was the game pegged for December 25, a Christmas night battle at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs. At the time, Broncos fans were still seething over the Broncos' loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead last year in which a freak blocked field goal broke their hearts.
Fans sought revenge and felt that this year's team would be able to get it. Christmas night would be the perfect time, on national television, to defeat the Chiefs on the road and the Broncos officially announce themselves as a serious Super Bowl contender. But none of that seems necessary now.
The Broncos are 12-2, in first place in the AFC, and a serious contender already. They have beaten the Chiefs once already this season and now, seemingly, everyone else is going to beat the Chiefs, who were shockingly eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday.
That takes a lot of the excitement out of that game, but so does the devastating news that the Chiefs received on Sunday that Patrick Mahomes, who was injured in the final seconds of their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, tore his ACL. He obviously won't be on the field when the Broncos face the Chiefs and will be out for the foreseeable future.
Instead, Gardner Minshew will take the reins as the team's starting quarterback. The Broncos can't overlook Minshew as he has been one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, but there is no doubt that this game has lost almost all of its luster at this point.
READ: Riley Moss has become a victim of NFL officials, and it's created a false narrative
If you were worried about how you might balance your Christmas night while also catching the action in the Broncos game, you might be able to relax a little bit and just have the game on in the background.
More Broncos Content
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos making it difficult for negative narratives to continue
Broncos have clear path to home-field advantage following Week 15 win over Packers
NFL Picks, Predictions Week 15: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
Denver Broncos bring in former Memphis quarterback, 9 others for tryouts
Denver Broncos must buck two negative trends for Super Bowl dreams to come true