The Kansas City Chiefs suffered multiple injuries in training camp, but barring a couple of players, there were no major setbacks heading into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. But on Thursday, two key players missed Thursday’s practice: Left tackle Josh Simmons and safety Chamarri Conner, leaving their status up in the air with three days to go before Monday night’s opener against the Denver Broncos.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Andy Reid had already raised concerns about Simmons, who has been dealing with a back injury since mid-August, earlier this week. The Chiefs coach said there was “a good chance” the left tackle would miss the opener, and rookie Kahlil Benson would slot in his place to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side after getting left tackle reps in training camp. Taking Thursday’s absence into account, as reported by NBC, the decision might already be taken.
Simmons is the bigger problem for Kansas City. The Chiefs traded down from No. 31 to No. 32 in the 2025 draft and still got the offensive tackle they wanted. Director of player personnel Ryne Nutt was high on Simmons coming out of college and compared his tape to some of the league’s top young tackles.
“In terms of years past, I would say Josh, when he was healthy last year, his tape would be one of the better ones in the last few years,” Nutt said on draft night, comparing Simmons’ game to Minnesota’s Christian Darrisaw and the Chargers’ Rashawn Slater, two of the more respected young tackles in football.
Unfortunately, Simmons’ rookie season was interrupted almost immediately. He started the first five games at left tackle, protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side, before stepping away from the team for 22 days and missing four games. He went home to San Diego during that time, with Andy Reid describing the situation as a family matter. Simmons later made it clear that he wanted to keep the details private.
“I kind of want to keep that in-house, with all due respect,” Simmons said at the time, choosing privacy over explanation in a locker room that respected the boundary and moved on.
He finished the season with eight starts and a 62.6 PFF grade. Now, a back injury is keeping him out. That issue is separate from the torn patellar tendon he suffered in college, and he has been dealing with the back problem since mid-August. If he cannot return in time, Kansas City could open the season without its projected starting left tackle.
As for Conner, he is dealing with a knee injury that has already kept him out of the entire preseason. The fourth-round pick from Virginia Tech in 2023 could now be in danger of missing the Chiefs’ Week 1 matchup.
Conner has spent a considerable part of his first three seasons playing in the slot, but Kansas City also made him play safety this offseason. He has 230 career tackles and four interceptions heading into the new season, and the Chiefs now have to wait and see if he will be healthy enough to take on that new role in the opener.
“Chamarri would be a stretch,” Reid said. “(Alohi) Gilman was out there practicing and doing his thing. He’ll be ready to go, I think.”
Conner’s absence puts Alohi Gilman as the likely next man up at safety, mirroring the exact kind of scenario already playing out at left tackle.
How Kansas City’s Depth Chart Collides With Denver’s NFL-Best Pass Rush
If Simmons can’t go, the Chiefs could be putting an undrafted rookie in a very difficult spot. Kahlil Benson, an offensive tackle out of Indiana, struggled during the preseason, posting a 35.8 PFF pass-blocking grade (per Yardbarker). The Athletic’s Dane Brugler also described his technique as “sloppy.”
That becomes even more concerning against Denver. The Broncos led the NFL with a franchise-record 68 sacks last season, and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto had 14 of them. He could see a lot of the left tackle spot Benson could inherit.
Andy Reid, though, didn’t sound worried about the backup plan.
“We try to play the five best guys,” Reid said. “We’re comfortable with Kahlil on either side, and he’s been practicing the left side.”
Bonitto, meanwhile, already sounded ready for the matchup earlier this offseason.
“It’s going to be a great matchup, man,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a divisional matchup, and we get that in Week 1, so there’s going to be a lot of excitement around the game, for sure.”
With Conner out, Gilman is likely to step in against a Denver passing attack led by quarterback Bo Nix and wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Two backups could now be stepping into major roles before the Chiefs have even played their first game.