The blind side fear has actually come true for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of their 2026 NFL season opener on Monday. They will be starting against the Broncos without their trusted left tackle Josh Simmons, who is out with an injury. However, in his absence, Andy Reid and the team are placing great trust in a rookie to secure Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.

Simmons has already missed more than three weeks with a lower back injury that he sustained in mid-August, per ESPN. His absence leaves a big hole on the offensive line just as Patrick Mahomes returns from a long recovery from an ACL and LCL injury last year.

To ensure a smoother offense for Mahomes, the Chiefs are reportedly turning to Kahlil Benson to fill the gap. Benson is an undrafted rookie from Indiana who played right tackle during his entire college career and had no prior left tackle experience before Andy Reid made the transition for him during the Chiefs’ training camp.

Now, with that limited experience, he will move to left tackle and take on the important job of protecting Mahomes’ blind side. If Benson starts as expected, he will make a bit of history. He would become the first undrafted offensive rookie to start Week 1 for Andy Reid since Reid took over in Kansas City in 2013.

“He’s done a nice job for us,” Reid said Thursday to the media about Benson. “He’s obviously shown us that he can play. We wouldn’t put him in there if we didn’t think that. We’ve all been through that. I think when we first got hired, we thought we probably were pretty good at it, so I want his confidence to be that and go out and play and just use his abilities.”

Khalil Benson’s path to the NFL was not easy. All 32 teams passed on him 224 times during the NFL draft, and no team immediately signed him after the draft. His chance finally came when the Kansas City Chiefs invited him to rookie minicamp, giving him an opportunity to prove himself without any guarantee that he would make the team.

Benson took that chance and showed the Chiefs what he could do. He had played right tackle at Indiana and helped the Hoosiers win the national championship. He also protected Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, showing that he had valuable college experience even though he had not yet played in the NFL.

Benson also showed that he can do more than just play tackle. When Trey Smith missed practice because of a hip injury, Benson moved inside and showed that he could handle different positions on the offensive line. So, the move is risky, but that doesn’t mean Benson is not capable.

Patrick Mahomes was also impressed by Benson and his progress during the offseason.

“If you can fix your mistakes, and get better and better each and every day, usually good things happen,” Mahomes said, adding “and that’s what he’s done ever since he’s been here. I mean, it started in the OTAs and the rookie minicamp, honestly. I remember watching film on that and seeing that guy and seeing him kind of do stuff the right way. And he’s kind of built and got better and better.”

Patrick Mahomes shows confidence ahead of the 2026 season

Patrick Mahomes is returning to the Chiefs after nine months away due to a knee injury and subsequent surgery. Upon his comeback, he will have his task cut out facing the Denver Broncos, the same team that defeated them in the 2025 AFC West championship game.

While the opponent is a variable he cannot entirely control, Mahomes is confident about his fitness heading into the new season.

“You’ve got to go out there and be yourself,” Mahomes said Thursday. “I’ve built up the strength and built up all the days of rehab so that I can be myself. I’m going to keep myself out of harm’s way like I always will, not trying to take big hits.

“But I’m a competitor, I signed up for this, and I’m going to go out there and play football. That’s how I’ve always rolled, no matter what it is.”

Mahomes has dominated Denver in his career, going 13-2 in 15 games. However, the Broncos have a strong pass rush that could make his return difficult. Moreover, they led the NFL with 68 sacks in 2025, with Nik Bonitto recording 14 and Jonathon Cooper adding eight.

The Chiefs’ offensive line also struggled to keep Mahomes protected last season, as he was sacked 34 times. That makes Denver’s pressure a major challenge in his first game back and amplifies the responsibility that Kahlil Benson has on his hands on his NFL debut.