Chiefs’ ‘Champion’s Heart’ Earns Respect From Broncos’ Sean Payton Despite Loss

Down their top two quarterbacks and half a dozen starters, the Chiefs still made their 20-13 loss to the Broncos a knock-down, drag-out brawl.

Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos looks on prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Dec. 25, 2025. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Kansas City Chiefs may not be the kings of the AFC West, but they still earn respect from their opponents.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Chiefs 20-13 on Christmas Day. Down to their third quarterback and with multiple injuries on the defense, it looked like an easy out for the division-leading Broncos. But the game quickly turned into a scrappy, clock-chewing affair that Broncos head coach Sean Payton said is emblematic of the Chiefs’ championship pedigree.

“I thought Kansas City did a good job,” Payton told media, noting that Kansas City’s defensive game plan was to play a lot of soft zone coverages to force the offense to work underneath and consume a lot of clock on drives.

“And you always have to remember this. You’re playing the heart of a champion, and Andy and this team, I don’t care who comes out of that locker room. This is a team that basically has been at the top of our league for the better part of the century, and so there’s a ton of respect we have for what they’ve been able to accomplish.”

The Broncos chewed up more than half of the entire first quarter on their opening possession, capping it off with a 27-yard field goal. After being forced to punt, the Chiefs’ defense forced a 3rd and 12. Quarterback Bo Nix scrambled out of pressure and threw a pass to the sideline. It was batted away by cornerback Kristian Fulton, and linebacker Nick Bolton made a diving interception. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive. The Broncos took up another 8 minutes and kicked another field goal to end the first half.

Chiefs wide receiver Breshard Smith—who caught the touchdown pass from QB Chris Oladokun—took the second half kickoff 30 yards up the sideline. The Chiefs kicked another field goal to make the score 10-6. But the Broncos followed it up with a nearly 10-minute-long drive capped by a touchdown by Nix on a QB draw. The Chiefs tied the game at 13 with a field goal in the fourth quarter. The Broncos put themselves ahead by a touchdown with a 14-play, 6-minute drive that ended with a TD pass from Nix to running back R.J. Harvey. After the defense forced a turnover on downs, the Broncos took a knee and ended the game.

The Broncos entered the game as heavy favorites despite being the visitors due to a laundry list of injuries on the Chiefs’ roster. Patrick Mahomes is out for the season with a torn ACL, and backup Gardner Minshew is also done for the season, leaving Oladokun—the fourth-year practice squad mainstay—as the starter. They were also without both starting offensive tackles and the backup, wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton, starting linebacker Leo Chenal, and top cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.

Despite the injury list and the Chiefs being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, they still put up a significant fight and held on until the end of the game. Payton said the team expected as much.

“Our players have a ton of respect for this program,” he said. “There’s just been too much winning here, and that’s credit to everyone, Andy Reid on down. So I think our players knew that we were going to get their best shot.”

Oladokun, in particular, made life difficult for the defense. While his stat line was modest: 13 of 22 passing for 66 yards and the touchdown, with two rushes for 11 yards, he showed much of the same scrambling ability and improvisational skills Mahomes is known for. He was sacked just once against the NFL’s best defense at getting to the quarterback, and ran around all game finding open receivers and extending plays with his legs.

Payton said Oladokun’s valiant effort reminded him of the infamous Broncos-Saints game from 2020, when wide receiver Kendall Hinton was forced to play quarterback after all four Broncos QBs were ruled ineligible to play due to COVID-19 symptoms. Hinton went 1 of 9 passing for 13 yards with two interceptions, and added two carries for 7 yards, as Payton’s Saints thrashed Denver 31-3.