Once again, the Kansas City Chiefs open the season coming off a Super Bowl.
This time is different, though. They’re not the champions.
Click to Gallery
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, left, talks with quarterback Justin Herbert before an NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is seen in the bench area during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throws the ball during a training session prior to an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes cheers from the sidelines during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Last year, the Chiefs were trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. But they got blown out 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Already one of the NFL's dynasties, the Chiefs are looking to add to their lore heading into the season opener on Friday night against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, the second NFL game in South America.
“We got a lot of guys that are super hungry and want to go out there and put on a show,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
The Chargers have their own motivation, having lost seven straight to the Chiefs.
“Two opposing wills meeting each other,” second-year Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “If you don’t like the challenge, you don’t like to compete.”
Harbaugh guided the Chargers to a wild-card appearance last season while reviving a woebegone franchise that had single-digit wins in four of five previous seasons. He overhauled the roster and implemented a culture change.
“He wants to win all the time,” said wide receiver Keenan Allen, who is back with the Chargers after a season in Chicago.
While the Chiefs have owned the AFC West for the last nine seasons, the Chargers haven't won a playoff game since the 2018 season and quarterback Justin Herbert has no playoff victories on his resume.
Allen, one of Herbert's favorite targets during their previous run together, sees a more comfortable Herbert since their recent reunion.
“Everything has slowed down for him and he’s composed and more confident,” Allen said.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are looking to set the tone for the season with a win over their division rival.
“I feel like we've gotten better and better and better each year,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie said, “and I think guys are comfortable now. We brought back most of the defense, and we all kind of know how each other plays. I always say Coach Spags' (Steve Spagnuolo) thing this year, ‘Be bold, be great,’ like that's truly just what we want to be.”
The biggest concern on defense for the Chiefs comes in stopping the run. In fact, they had to reacquire defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi in a trade with the Jets last week after they were unsatisfied with their performance up front in the preseason.
Everyone from Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to retired NFL player J.J. Watt weighed in on the spotty field conditions at Arena Corinthians during last year's game at the same soccer stadium in Sao Paulo. Players on the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles struggled to keep their footing on the field, with some falling or slipping on the mix of natural grass and synthetic fibers.
Chargers running back Najee Harris said slippery conditions are “extremely difficult” because of the force he exerts making cuts. Typically, players wear cleats with short rubber or plastic studs to provide safe traction. He'll have screw-in cleats available, which have studs that are threaded into the sole, allowing players to change the length of the studs to match different playing conditions.
The Chiefs will play without No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice, who is serving the first game in a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and rookie Jalen Royals, who is dealing with a knee injury. That means they will lean heavily on second-year pro Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
“Losing a receiver of that magnitude that is that good, it takes away from the offense in a sense,” Mahomes said, “but at the same time, we brought in a lot of receiver depth. It won’t be just one guy. It’ll be multiple guys that will kind of do some of the stuff that Rashee has done.”
Count Harbaugh among those celebrating the recent engagement of pop superstar Taylor Swift to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. There is speculation she will travel to Brazil after being a regular at Chiefs games the last two seasons.
“I'm on the side of love. They make a great cute couple,” a grinning Harbaugh said. “She's tremendous. You can tell by the love she has for her fans and the love they have for her. She really likes football, so we like her.”
AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, left, talks with quarterback Justin Herbert before an NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is seen in the bench area during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throws the ball during a training session prior to an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes cheers from the sidelines during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Troops from several European countries continued to arrive in Greenland on Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island.
The disagreement came into starker focus Thursday, with the White House describing plans for more talks with officials from Denmark and Greenland as “technical talks on the acquisition agreement" for the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
That was a far cry from the way Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described it as a working group that would discuss ways to work through differences between the nations.
“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said Wednesday after the meeting.
Before the talks began Wednesday, Denmark announced it would increase its military presence in Greenland. Several European partners — including France, Germany, the U.K., Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands — started sending symbolic numbers of troops or promised to do so in the following days.
The troop movements were intended to portray unity among Europeans and send a signal to President Donald Trump that an American takeover of Greenland is not necessary as NATO together can safeguard the security of the Arctic region amid rising Russian and Chinese interest.
The European troops did little to dissuade Trump.
His White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that it had no impact on the U.S. president's decision-making or goal of acquiring Greenland.
“The president has made his priority quite clear, that he wants the United States to acquire Greenland. He thinks it’s in our best national security to do that,” she said.
Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, said Wednesday that a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remained after they met at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rasmussen said it remains “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland” but dialogue with the U.S. would continue at a high level over the following weeks.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday that "the first French military elements are already en route” and “others will follow,” as French authorities said about 15 soldiers from the mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk for a military exercise.
Germany will deploy a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said.
On Thursday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the intention was “to establish a more permanent military presence with a larger Danish contribution,” according to Danish broadcaster DR. He said soldiers from several NATO countries will be in Greenland on a rotation system.
Inhabitants of Greenland and Denmark reacted with anxiety but also some relief that negotiations with the U.S. would go on and European support was becoming visible.
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the continuation of “dialogue and diplomacy.”
“Greenland is not for sale,” he said Thursday. “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed from the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, local residents told The Associated Press they were glad the first meeting between Greenlandic, Danish and American officials had taken place but suggested it left more questions than answers.
Several people said they viewed Denmark’s decision to send more troops, and promises of support from other NATO allies, as protection against possible U.S. military action. But European military officials have not suggested the goal is to deter a U.S. move against the island.
Maya Martinsen, 21, said it was “comforting to know that the Nordic countries are sending reinforcements” because Greenland is a part of Denmark and NATO.
The dispute, she said, is not about “national security” but rather about “the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched.”
On Wednesday, Poulsen announced a stepped-up military presence in the Arctic “in close cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a security environment in which “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”
“This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said.
Asked whether the European troop movements were coordinated with NATO or what role the U.S.-led military alliance might play in the exercises, NATO referred all questions to the Danish authorities. However, NATO is currently studying ways to bolster security in the Arctic.
The Russian embassy in Brussels on Thursday lambasted what it called the West's “bellicose plans” in response to “phantom threats that they generate themselves”. It said the planned military actions were part of an “anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda” by NATO.
“Russia has consistently maintained that the Arctic should remain a territory of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation," the embassy said.
Commenting on the outcome of the Washington meeting on Thursday, Poulsen said the working group was “better than no working group” and “a step in the right direction.” He added nevertheless that the dialogue with the U.S. did not mean “the danger has passed.”
The most important thing for Greenlanders is that they were directly represented at the meeting in the White House and that “the diplomatic dialogue has begun now,” Juno Berthelsen, a lawmaker for the pro-independence Naleraq opposition party, told AP.
A relationship with the U.S. is beneficial for Greenlanders and Americans and is “vital to the security and stability of the Arctic and the Western Alliance,” Berthelsen said. He suggested the U.S. could be involved in the creation of a coast guard for Greenland, providing funding and creating jobs for local people who can help to patrol the Arctic.
In Washington, Rasmussen and Motzfeldt also met with a bipartisan group of senators at the U.S. Capitol.
“We really appreciate that we have close friends in the Senate and the House as well,” Rasmussen told reporters, adding that Denmark would work to “accommodate any reasonable American requests” with Greenland.
There has been significant concern among lawmakers of both political parties that Trump could upend the NATO alliance by insisting on using military force to possess Greenland. Key Republicans lawmakers have pushed back on those plans and suggested that the Trump administration should work with Denmark to enhance mutual security in the Arctic.
Line McGee, 38, from Copenhagen, told AP that she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I don’t think the threat has gone away,” she said. “But I feel slightly better than I did yesterday.”
Trump, in his Oval Office meeting with reporters, said: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”
Niemann reported from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ciobanu from Warsaw, Poland. Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Michelle L. Price in Washington and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
From left, Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, Danish and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, stand with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., amid President Donald Trump's ambitions to take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, during a meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt speak at a news conference at the Embassy of Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
People walk on a street in Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
From center to right, Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, Denmark's Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen, rear, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, right, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
An Airbus A400M transport aircraft of the German Air Force taxis over the grounds at Wunstorf Air Base in the Hanover region, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 as troops from NATO countries, including France and Germany, are arriving in Greenland to boost security. (Moritz Frankenberg/dpa via AP)
Fishermen load fishing lines into a boat in the harbor of Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with members of the Senate Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
