The Chiefs have reportedly made their decision regarding Week 18 against the Broncos and the team intends to rest starters to prepare for the playoffs.
It’s a logical choice given they’ve already sealed the No. 1 seed and have literally nothing to play for. A Denver win would cement a spot in the postseason and eliminate the Bengals, so Kansas City serves to benefit in the long run by losing.
Most importantly, resting in Week 18 will give the Chiefs over three weeks to prepare for the AFC Divisional Round thanks to the first-round bye.
According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Kansas City has already made its decision. Despite Patrick Mahomes’ comments following the Steelers win that he’d prepare to play, it was obvious to anyone paying attention that the Chiefs would keep their marquee players on the sideline.
That means this Week 18 tilt means literally nothing for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. It has massive implications for the Broncos, who need to win to secure the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
Denver would, in all likelihood, be forced to play the red-hot Buffalo Bills, though making the postseason is obviously better than not. Carson Wentz will be under center for Kansas City, hoping to prove he’s still capable of being a starter in the NFL.
With injuries to Mahomes, Chris Jones, D.J. Humphries, Jaylen Watson, and more, the only thing that matters is resting as much as possible. It does create an interesting situation for players like Hollywood Brown and Charles Omenihu, who likely need as much time on the field as possible to ensure they’re ready for the playoff grind.
The Chiefs are finally Super Bowl favorites (+370) at FanDuel Sportsbook as they always should’ve been. Fans have known this was the best team in the league all along, and now it looks like no team is better positioned to win the Lombardi Trophy than Kansas City.
