The Kansas City Chiefs will face a big test in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. They’re set to face the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football to open the year, and as things currently stand, they are expected to be without starting left tackle Josh Simmons. Simmons has been out of practice since mid-August with a back injury, and that injury is expected to keep him out of the Week 1 matchup.

That means the Chiefs will need a replacement left tackle for the game. Should Simmons not start for Kansas City, that would mark the 10th different starting left tackle Patrick Mahomes has had protecting his blind side since the 2022 season. While Chiefs coach Andy Reid did not name a starter, all signs point to undrafted rookie free agent offensive tackle Khalil Benson earning the start at left tackle.

Benson’s preseason showing and the challenge ahead

Benson played six snaps at left tackle in preseason Week 3, allowing no pressures on three pass-blocking snaps and performing well as a run blocker on three run-blocking snaps. That, however, came in the preseason against backups and fringe 53-man roster players competing for spots. This will be an entirely different challenge. Benson will go up against All-Pro edge rusher Nik Bonitto and a veteran NFL defensive coordinator in Vance Joseph.

It’s hard not to think about Kingsley Suamataia and his early debut at the left tackle position during the 2024 NFL season. He faced one of the league’s best pass rushers, Trey Hendrickson, in Week 2 that year. Things went about as you would expect. The Chiefs are embracing the challenge this time around, knowing they don’t have much other choice. This is simply how things go in the NFL. When one player isn’t healthy enough to play, you call upon another to step up and do the job.

“Either way, you got to roll,” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said on Thursday. “I mean, that’s the beauty of football: it’s just next man up, and you have to go out there and compete. And these guys have gotten a ton of reps in training camp. They’ve got a ton of reps throughout their entire life, and they’re going out and living their dream as well. And so, I trust anyone that the coaches put out there because I know that they’ve worked their tail off to be at that spot, and so there’ll be mistakes here and there. But at the end of the day, you got to go out there and trust those guys and make the plays whenever the plays need to be made.”

How Benson worked his way onto the Chiefs’ roster

Benson joined the team through undrafted free agency, but didn’t sign after the 2026 NFL Draft. He joined Kansas City after a successful tryout at rookie minicamp, signing to the 90-man offseason roster. From there, he won a battle against Wanya Morris, Esa Pole, and Ethan Driskell. He worked his way up the depth chart and earned opportunities to play both right tackle and right guard.

The Chiefs made moves to reinforce their depth at offensive tackle leading into the 2026 season. They traded for offensive tackles Diego Pounds and Joshua Ezeudu, but that wasn’t a knock on Benson. It was more about needing fresh competition at the bottom of the roster. The team maintains a great deal of confidence in what Benson brings to the table.

“Yeah, so he’s done a nice job for us,” Reid said of Benson. “He’s obviously shown us that he has the ability to play, and we wouldn’t put him in there if we didn’t think that. You know, we’ve all been through that. I think when we first got hired, we thought we probably were pretty good… And so, you know, that’s what I want his confidence to be: that, and go out and play, and just use his abilities and write a good story.”

The Chiefs believe Benson can rise to the occasion

This will be Benson’s first big test, but Kansas City believes he can rise to the occasion. He won’t be in it alone, either. He has the support of his starting quarterback, his fellow offensive linemen, and his coachees. That goes a long way toward building confidence for a young player. All he needs to do now is gain a little steam and momentum during the game to put together a strong Week 1 performance.

As Mahomes says, there will be mistakes. The coaches have spoken all offseason about Benson’s ability to bounce back and not make the same mistake twice. He’ll need to be on top of his game against the Broncos in Week 1, but he’ll have the support of Chiefs Kingdom in Arrowhead Stadium. It’s the perfect environment for a young player to earn their first professional start.