The Kansas City Chiefs are officially home to the NFL’s best story to open the 2026 season
It’s official. The Kansas City Chiefs are home to the NFL’s best story.
Listen, you can argue with a wall all you’d like. The Kansas City Chiefs are, officially, home to the best story in football to start the 2026 season. Because stories like Khalil Benson’s are undoubtedly the best thing about the NFL.
The Kansas City Chiefs rookie offensive tackle started at left tackle for Kansas City on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos and their vaunted pass rush. Benson joined the Chiefs earlier this year as a rookie tryout player and, admittedly, hadn’t played left tackle since high school. And yet there he was on Monday night, stepping up to the challenge on primetime television. The Chiefs won by 3 touchdowns — and Benson nearly pitched a shutout.
Kansas City Chiefs rookie tackle Khalil Benson had plenty of help, but his story still stands alone
Granted, it helps to have one of the best offensive minds at head coach in Andy Reid. It helps to have one of the best interior offensive trios in football thanks to center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith, too. And it certainly helps to have arguably the best quarterback in the game in Patrick Mahomes. All of those factors played a role in Kansas City’s dominant Week 1 performance and took pressure off of Benson.
But none of that should diminish the magnitude of Benson’s night. A longshot rookie tryout who hadn’t lined up at left tackle since high school started on primetime in Week 1 and limited opposing pass rushers to just one pressure. The Broncos entered Monday night looking to extend their newfound control over the AFC West. They got a rude awakening from the Chiefs instead.
You can comb through every box score and every highlight reel from the opening week of the season. I don’t think you’re going to find a better story than that, no matter how hard you try.
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