Walker shines as Chiefs beat Broncos while Swift and Cruise watch on

The Kansas City Chiefs opened their NFL season with a commanding 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.

The standout performer was new signing Kenneth Walker, last season's Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks, who rushed for a career-high 173 yards and scored twice on his Chiefs debut. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he had expected Walker to make a difference all offseason and credited both him and the offensive line for taking over the game.

Mahomes himself was playing his first game since injuring his knee in December. He opened the scoring with a rushing touchdown and added two more via passes.

Denver briefly levelled the score in the first quarter, but the Chiefs defense forced multiple errors from Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, sacking him four times and intercepting him once as Kansas City pulled away.

Elsewhere in the game, three-time Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce moved into second place on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list for tight ends after a 59-yard play, trailing only former Chiefs great Tony Gonzalez.

Singer Taylor Swift, who is married to Kelce, watched the game from the stands alongside actor Tom Cruise. The Broncos had ended the Chiefs' run of nine consecutive division titles last season by winning the AFC West.