Chiefs Looking to Have 16,000 Fans for NFL Opener Against Texans

The Kansas City Chiefs are ready to kick off the 2020 NFL season with fans. On Monday, the defending Super Bowl champions announced they are limiting early-season games to 22% of stadium capacity. This means there will be around 16,000 fans when the team takes on the Houston Texans on Sept. 10, the first game of the NFL season.

Arrowhead Stadium’s attendance is listed at 72,936 fans, which would mean the Chiefs can sell 16,046 tickets. The Chiefs said they would adjust the attendance at home games later in the year depending on the health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to ESPN, the Chiefs have had crowds of 16,000 at Arrowhead Stadium in the past. In December 1982, there were 11,902 fans when the Chiefs took on the New York Jets. In December 1983, 11,377 fans witnessed the Chiefs earn a win against the Denver Broncos.

“As the season progresses, the club will follow the guidance of local officials and public health experts, with the potential that local regulations will allow for different capacities at different points during the season,” the Chiefs said on their team website. “Future on-sale dates and details will be communicated once confirmed throughout the season.” For fans who are attending Chiefs games, they will be required to wear masks at all times during the game with the exception of drinking and eating. Fans are asked to bring their own masks, but the team will provide a commemorative mask to all fans who attend the first three games.

With fans in attendance for the opener, it’s likely the team will celebrate the Super Bowl win that happened in February. Fans will also get to see Patrick Mahomes, who is now the highest-paid player in NFL history. Currently, the Chiefs are preparing for the season at training camp and Mahomes said the team is ready to win another Super Bowl.

“Every single year, no matter if you won the Super Bowl the last year, no matter if you lost in the AFC Championship Game, no matter if you didn’t make the playoffs, you get a clean slate and you get to go out there and compete every single year,” Mahomes said via Sky Sports. “You have to have the passion and the mindset that you’re going to go out there every single day and execute every single rep so you can go out there and be on top again and be able to have those parades, be able to enjoy it with your teammates and your family and your friends.”