The ongoing story of Josh Simmons' status for the Chiefs' season opener next Monday night has been confusing, drawn-out, and frustrating for every party involved. On Tuesday morning, Andy Reid announced to the Chiefs beat that there is a "good chance" the second-year left tackle will not play against the Denver Broncos next Monday night.
This is an unfortunate update for a variety of reasons. First, Simmons is an exceptionally talented lineman who could be a perennial Pro Bowl-caliber player should he reach his ceiling. With him sidelined, the Chiefs will immediately be facing an uphill battle against a ferocious Denver pass rush. Last season, the Broncos led the NFL with 68 sacks. The leading contributor to that number was Nik Bonitto, whose 14 sacks ranked fifth across the league in 2025. Bonitto typically lines up across from the left tackle, so Simmons would be tasked with keeping him away from Mahomes if he were to play. Limiting Denver's defensive front with Simmons in the lineup would be a challenge on its own. With the Chiefs likely down their starting left tackle, there is significant doubt about whether they can keep Mahomes upright in his return to action.
Josh Simmons’ absence leaves the Chiefs with a difficult decision
While Simmons being out is far from ideal, every NFL team must employ the "next man up" mentality. The logical choice to start at left tackle would be Jaylon Moore, who did just that last season when Simmons left the team for personal reasons. In Moore's four starts on the blind side in 2025, the Chiefs amassed a 3-1 record while averaging 27.5 points per game. While last season was one that every Chiefs fan would like to forget, their best stretch of the campaign actually came with Moore in the starting lineup. In March 2025, the Chiefs signed Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract with the intention of making him their left tackle. Of course, they did not anticipate Simmons falling to them at the end of the first round, so they selected the 6-foot-5, 310-pound physical specimen 32nd overall.
While Moore is not a perfect player, he has proven to be a capable spot starter when needed. The Chiefs initially planned for the Western Michigan product to start at right tackle while Simmons manned the left side. However, with Simmons sidelined, one would figure that moving Moore, who performed admirably at that position a year ago, would be the easy choice to fill his shoes. To quote the great Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friends." In his Tuesday presser, Andy Reid noted that Kahlil Benson, an undrafted free agent, is first in line to replace Simmons on Monday night. With all due respect to Benson, who is a great story merely by making the Chiefs' 53-man roster, this could be a disastrous decision.
Kahlil Benson represents an unnecessary gamble at left tackle
Benson is a 24-year-old rookie who played six years of college football and was a starter on Indiana's undefeated national championship team a year ago. However, throughout his collegiate career, Benson played either on the interior of the line or at right tackle. Benson worked at right tackle throughout training camp and the preseason and had some highs and lows in his performance. In summary, Benson has not taken a snap at left tackle since before he enrolled at Indiana in 2020.
In the event that he gets the nod on Monday, he would be facing one of the league's premier pass rushers with Mahomes playing in his first game since tearing his ACL last December. While it's not impossible that Benson performs well, this feels like an unnecessary risk by the Chiefs' coaching staff.
Jaylon Moore has already proven he can protect Patrick Mahomes
There are times when the easiest choice isn't always the flashiest one but ultimately leads to the best result. Moore is not an elite offensive tackle by any stretch, as evidenced by his having started just 18 games in a five-year career. However, he has proven his competency at the position, while Benson has showcased nothing of the sort. In 2024, during his final year with the San Francisco 49ers, Moore started five games in place of an injured Trent Williams. In those starts, he performed well, allowing just one sack and five quarterback pressures. According to Pro Football Focus, Moore's performance was reflected in its metrics, as his 74.9 grade was a well-above-average mark. Moore didn't play nearly as well for the Chiefs last season, as his PFF grade dropped to 63.0—an 11.9-point decline—but he allowed just three sacks on 257 pass-blocking sets.
Perhaps Moore's best attribute is his discipline. In five seasons, the 28-year-old tackle has committed just two penalties and none over the past three seasons. This represents a breath of fresh air for Chiefs fans, as Moore's predecessor, Jawaan Taylor, was nothing short of a penalty machine in Kansas City. There is also proof of concept with Moore facing off against elite edge rushers. In his first start last season, Moore was matched up against Aidan Hutchinson and largely held his own. In that game, the Chiefs scored 30 points in one of their most efficient offensive showings of last season. That alone should be enough reason to entrust Moore with limiting Bonitto over Benson on Monday night.
I will not pretend to know more about football than Andy Reid. He is a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach who has earned three Super Bowl rings. However, this is a decision that deserves to be second-guessed, especially considering the strength of Denver's pass rush and Mahomes coming off a significant lower-body injury. Anytime a player of Simmons' caliber is out of the lineup, it is the responsibility of the coaching staff to make the necessary adjustment to garner the best possible result. Moore has starting experience, shielded Mahomes' blind side for a quarter of the season in 2025, and has performed well against pass rushers of Bonitto's caliber.
Putting in an undrafted rookie with no experience playing left tackle at the collegiate or professional level could be a recipe for disaster. Andy Reid and the rest of the offensive coaching staff should strongly reconsider their strategy for protecting Mahomes before the game kicks off on Monday.
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