The Chiefs‘ O-line last season simply wasn’t it. Andy Reid didn’t sugarcoat it after yet another tough day up front: “It’s disruptive to any offense if the quarterback’s getting hit and not able to get the ball off… you’ve got to do better than what we did there,” he said. And he was right. The O-line, the left side in particular, constantly left Mahomes under the fire. For an offense that lives and dies by what No. 15 can create…this can be disastrous. With Mahomes facing way too many sacks and pressures, the Chiefs got to work behind the scenes. And now with the pads on, they might have finally found the answer.

The Chiefs might’ve just pulled off the steal of the draft, and they’re wasting absolutely no time. Despite suffering a torn patellar tendon less than a year ago, rookie Josh Simmons is already taking first-team reps at left tackle. And he’s all set to start at left tackle 1 in week 1, according to Jordan Schultz. “The team has been impressed with him all summer, and he’s on track to start at left tackle in Week 1, protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside,” he wrote on Instagram.

You can understand the urgency. It was a full-on scramble to protect the most valuable arm in football. Last season, the Chiefs threw everything at the left tackle problem: Wanya Morris got the first shot, then rookie Kingsley Suamataia, and at one point, they even bumped Joe Thuneyan (an All-Pro guard) out to tackle mid-game just to stop the bleeding. It all added up to Patrick Mahomes taking a career-high 36 sacks in 2024, with some brutal late-game collapses.

The answer? Josh Simmons. The man is a 6’5″, 317-pound athletic freak with 33-inch arms and some of the best lateral movement in recent draft memory. He was the top tackle prospect on a bunch of boards heading into 2025, and even with that torn patellar tendon in October, the Chiefs didn’t blink.

Guys like Brandon Thorn were throwing out comps to Christian Darrisaw. His tape showed quick feet, violent hands, and a calmness in pass sets that just screams “franchise left tackle.” If he’s healthy (and all signs point to yes), this could be the move that finally locks down Mahomes’ blindside.

His college record just underscores that. He kicked things off with 13 starts at San Diego State in 2022, then made the leap to Ohio State and instantly locked down the left tackle spot. Even after tearing his patellar tendon midway through 2024, he still managed to start six games and earn Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. That’s no small feat for a guy playing hurt in one of the most competitive conferences in the country. Between both schools, he racked up 31 career starts and logged over 1,800 snaps.

And with veteran Jawaan Taylor still working his way back from a knee issue, Andy Reid isn’t second-guessing. He fully trusts Simmons to hold it down from Day 1. It lines up with what Reid said on draft night: “We felt like he was a true left tackle.” This is great timing. Because Mahomes? He’s not too happy with his O-line.

Mahomes’ camp frustrations ring alarm bells

Patrick Mahomes came into camp with one thing on his mind: raising the bar. But the players around him likely didn’t share that idea. And from the jump, you could tell he wasn’t messing around. He looked “pretty frustrated” during padded drills as the offense kept getting tripped up by sloppy mistakes: false starts, missed assignments, the kind of stuff that throws off rhythm.

Even with refs on hand to mimic game-day vibes, Mahomes wasn’t just ticked about a few flags. Well, he was, but what frustrated him more was the sloppiness. It was the offense’s lack of rhythm and focus, especially with the same issues popping up again.

This isn’t just idle whining. Remember the Super Bowl? Of course, we all do. Mahomes was sacked six times, and the man was put under pressure relentlessly, barely having any time to breathe. Analysts like Dan Orlovsky didn’t sugarcoat it. He called it “the worst from an Andy Reid–coached team,” pointing out how they couldn’t even hold up against basic four-man pressure from Philly’s front.

Andy Reid did his best to zero in on solutions. One of his first moves? Locking in right guard Trey Smith with a massive four-year, $94 million extension, showing just how much the Chiefs value interior consistency. But the real shakeup is happening on the left side. With rookie Josh Simmons poised to take up that left tackle 1 spot and former free agent Jaylon Moore right behind him? It cannot possibly be as bad as last season. But the primary question is this: does this O-line have what it takes to make a Lombardi run?