The Denver Broncos will be facing a Chiefs team with issues at offensive tackle, which could be right up their alley.
The Denver Broncos are preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, and most of the buzz has been about going up against quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he returns to the lineup after knee surgery.
But there’s another story here that could be just as big -- maybe bigger. The Chiefs announced yesterday that left tackle Josh Simmons probably won’t play, which means Mahomes will have a new blind-side protector in undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson.
The right side isn’t exactly a fount of strength, either, as right tackle Jaylon Moore was facing a serious challenge for his job from Benson before Simmons’ injury happened. Given the strength of the Denver pass rush, the Broncos have to be ecstatic about this new development.
“Josh is rehabbing,” said coach Andy Reid in a report from Jesse Newell of The Athletic. “This isn’t something that is anything other than him having an issue with his back. It’s a matter of time here. But he continues to work hard with (head athletic trainer) Rick (Burkholder) and do his part there.”
As Newell noted, this adds some drama to Week 1. This particular news would have been considered acceptable a few weeks ago, but that’s no longer the case. Benson began struggling in the preseason, so now the Chiefs will be bringing Mahomes back into the lineup with two potentially subpar tackles.
“We’re comfortable with Kahlil on either side,” Reid said as he tried to counter that impression. “He’s been playing the left side, so we feel comfortable with that. We’ll end up playing the five best guys, and he’s one of them right now.”
Benson played in 16 games at Indiana last season with 12 starts, and all of the starts came at right tackle. He had no snaps at left tackle, and now he’ll become Mahomes’ blind-side protector.
“If he has to be the left tackle, then he’s the left tackle and we roll with it,” Reid said. “That’s just how it goes.”
Benson’s struggles came against Rueben Bain in the Chiefs’ final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as Benson struggled with a silent snap count, per Newell. Reid tried to talk up his new left tackle, which is what he was trying to do before Benson struggled.
“He normally doesn’t make the same mistake twice, which I’ve mentioned before. That’s an important quality to have,” Reid said. “And he’s tough. It’s just, he doesn’t have a whole lot of reps under his belt at this level, being a rookie. But he’s very willing, and if he has to step in there and play — which it looks like he probably will — we feel comfortable with that.”
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is probably comfortable with it, too, and Benson will almost certainly see things he barely imagined when he was back at Indiana.
