Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks ready to start the regular season, but new questions about his left tackle have created some unease around the offensive line.
Mahomes is recovering from surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left knee that ended his previous season. He has taken part in training camp and appears on schedule to face the Denver Broncos in the Week 1 opener on Sept. 14.
Protecting the three-time Super Bowl winner remains a top priority for the Chiefs. That job belongs largely to left tackle Josh Simmons, the former first-round pick selected 32nd overall in the 2025 draft.
Coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that Simmons is dealing with a back injury and is undergoing additional evaluation.
“Just getting his back checked out,” Reid said. “That’s the main thing.”
Reid continued on, offering more details about the injury concern surrounding Simmons.
“I mean, he was doing good when he was in there, [but] he’s got the back. Like any other injury, we’ve got to make sure and see if it’s right or what’s wrong with it.”
The news carries extra weight because Simmons already missed substantial time as a rookie. He appeared in only eight games last season after leaving the team for personal reasons and later suffering a wrist injury that landed him on injured reserve.
Simmons will not play in Friday’s preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks. The Chiefs now have 18 days until the regular-season opener.
Mahomes has spoken as if he expects to take the field against Denver. He discussed the mental side of returning after a long layoff.
“I mean, obviously, I always say that because it kinda locks you in,” Mahomes said recently. “When you get that first hit, it almost kind of locks you into, all right, we’re playing football again, everything like that. But I feel like the last few preseason games, we’ve been so good blocking and throughout these drives that I haven’t taken that hit. And so, it’ll be kind of that same type of experience.”
“But at the end of the day, when we’re going into that Week 1, if I’m able to kind of get through this process and be able to play, we’ll be going up against one of the best defenses in the league. And so, I’ll have to be ready to go no matter what it is.”
The Chiefs recently added offensive line depth by trading for Joshua Ezeudu from the New York Giants. If Simmons cannot play, Kahlil Benson is one of the candidates who could step in at left tackle.
Reid said Benson will work at left tackle this week so the staff can evaluate him.
“He’ll be over there at left tackle this week, and we’ll see how he does with it,” Reid said of Benson.
Simmons had established himself as the starter protecting Mahomes’ blind side before the back issue surfaced. His absence from practice and the preseason finale has left the exact timeline for his return unclear.
Reid has been characteristically cautious when discussing the injury and has not offered a firm date for Simmons’ availability. The team will continue to monitor the situation as it prepares for the Broncos.
Mahomes’ own recovery has gone well enough that he has not needed extra rest days during camp. The focus now shifts to whether the line in front of him will be at full strength when the games begin to count.
Benson and other backups will get extra snaps in the final exhibition game. Those opportunities could prove important if Simmons’ back requires more time to heal.
The Chiefs open against a Broncos defense that ranks among the league’s better units. Mahomes has said he will have to be ready regardless of who is lining up next to him.
Team officials have not declared Simmons out for Week 1, but the extra testing and missed practices have raised legitimate concern among fans and observers. The next few days of evaluation will determine how the offensive line looks when the regular season arrives.
