With the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, they’ve clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which means they will get a first-round bye and won’t have to play until the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Chiefs could also rest their starters in the regular season finale next week against the Denver Broncos, who are in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

The Broncos are two games up over the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals for the seventh seed. If Denver wins this weekend over the Bengals, they will clinch a playoff berth.

However, if the Bengals win, which is what they need to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup against the Broncos becomes must-see TV for Cincinnati. Kansas City has no incentive to play their starters next week, especially after playing three games in a ridiculous 10-day stretch.

That means the Broncos could be facing the Chiefs’ backups, while the Bengals will have to go all out and play their starters against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have locked up their playoff spot but want to go into the playoffs with some momentum.

Last season, we saw Chiefs head coach Andy Reid not play his starters in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. And with Blaine Gabbert starting under center, Kansas City defeated the Chargers 13-12, at SoFi Stadium, who had nothing to play for.

This season, the circumstances could be different for the Broncos if they lose to Cincinnati. After Wednesday’s win over the Steelers, Chiefs superstar QB Patrick Mahomes told reporters he will still prepare to start in Week 18, even if Reid decides to rest him.

That being said, if the Bengals win on Saturday afternoon, their playoff hopes could rest in the hands of the Chiefs in Week 18, which is unreal given their matchups over the years.

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