Kahlil Benson’s rise with the Chiefs has gone from camp curiosity to something much bigger, and now it sounds like it’s about to reach its latest checkpoint. Heading into Week 1, Benson is expected to open as Kansas City’s starting left tackle when the Chiefs host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
That matters for a few obvious reasons. Patrick Mahomes is set to return after tearing knee ligaments last December, and protecting him will be front and center from the first snap. On Tuesday, in his first official press conference of Week 1, Andy Reid made it clear that the left tackle spot is still tied to Josh Simmons’ back injury, and that Simmons is unlikely to be available.
"There's a good chance that Josh doesn't play this week. That's where we're at," he said.
Reid didn’t initially hand Benson the job outright when asked about the line. He pointed to the Chiefs’ ongoing rotation work in camp, where Benson and Jaylon Moore shared first-team right tackle reps before Simmons went down and Benson moved over. Even then, Reid kept his language guarded.
"We'll see where all that goes. I'm not telling you that, but we're comfortable with Kahlil on either side.
I mean, he's been playing the left side, so we feel comfortable with that. We'll end up playing the five best guys and, right now, he's one of them," said Reid.
But the longer Reid talked, the clearer the picture became. Benson has been the player working at left tackle, and if Simmons can’t go, that’s where Benson will line up.
"The guy that's been playing left [tackle] is Kahlil. He's been the one over there.
I mean, you guys are out at every practice. You see it, so he's the one who's been in there going and doing a nice job with it.
If he has to be the left tackle, then he's the left tackle and we roll with it. That's just how it goes."
Benson’s path to this point has been one of the offseason’s biggest surprises. He signed as a rookie free agent after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite bringing plenty of college experience, including a national championship run with the Indiana Hoosiers last winter.
He started as a long shot, then kept showing enough in OTAs and minicamp to force the Chiefs to pay attention. By the time training camp arrived in St.
Joseph, Brett Veach had already traded away Wanya Morris to make room for him.
Reid also addressed the chatter surrounding Simmons, pushing back on the noise that has followed the 2025 first-round pick. Simmons missed four games a year ago because of "personal reasons," and social media speculation has tried to turn that into something more. Reid said the reality is much simpler.
"As far as Josh Simmons goes, I know that's another question people have ... Josh is rehabbing, he's working his tail off.
This isn't something that's anything other than him having an issue with his back. It's just a matter of time here, you know?
But he continues to work hard with Rick [Burkholder, the Chiefs' vice president of sports medicine and Performance] and do his part there," said Reid.
For now, the Chiefs appear to be leaning toward a front of Benson, Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Jaylon Moore from left to right. It’s a demanding first assignment, especially with Denver’s defense on the other side. But Kansas City has already watched Benson climb far faster than anyone expected, and now he looks set to take on the biggest job of all.
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