The Kansas City Chiefs haven't even played their first game of the 2026 season yet, and we may already have our first decision for Chiefs Kingdom to argue about.
With starting left tackle Josh Simmons dealing with a back issue and looking increasingly unlikely to play Monday night against the Denver Broncos, Andy Reid appears prepared to hand the job of protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side to undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson. Reid has said the Chiefs are comfortable with Benson on the left side and that Kansas City intends to put its "five best guys" on the field.
On the surface, that's a great story.
Benson went from a rookie-camp tryout to making the Chiefs' 53-man roster in a matter of months. He started at right tackle for national champion Indiana last season and impressed Kansas City enough during training camp that he was seriously competing for a starting job. The Chiefs officially signed him only after he earned a contract during their rookie minicamp in May.
But there's a pretty big difference between being a great story and being the guy responsible for protecting Patrick Mahomes against Denver's pass rush.
And that's where I have some concerns.
The Arrowhead Addict article that sparked this discussion makes a compelling argument that Reid should reconsider the plan and move veteran Jaylon Moore to left tackle instead. Moore isn't an All-Pro, but he has something Benson doesn't have: actual NFL experience protecting the blind side.
More importantly, we've already seen him do it for Kansas City.
When Josh Simmons missed time last season, Moore made four starts at left tackle. The Chiefs went 3-1 in those games and averaged 27.5 points. Before arriving in Kansas City, Moore also started games at left tackle for San Francisco while filling in for Trent Williams.
Does that mean Moore is suddenly one of the NFL's premier tackles? Of course not.
But there is a massive difference between "not elite" and "never done this before."
Benson spent his college career primarily on the right side and inside. The Chiefs have been working him at left tackle since Simmons' injury, but putting him there for an NFL regular-season opener—against Denver, no less—is an entirely different test.
Normally, maybe I'd be more willing to roll the dice.
This isn't a normal situation.
Patrick Mahomes is coming back from ACL and LCL injuries.
Reid says Mahomes is likely to start Monday night after a remarkable nine-month recovery, meaning the Chiefs are putting their franchise quarterback back on the field for the first time since the knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
That alone should change the calculation.
I don't want Mahomes spending his first game back wondering whether pressure is coming from his blind side. I don't want him unnecessarily scrambling because a young tackle misses an assignment. And I definitely don't want to see Kansas City put its most important player in additional danger simply because the coaching staff wants to see whether an undrafted rookie can handle the assignment.
There is a time for development.
Week 1 against Denver with Mahomes returning from major knee surgery isn't when I'd choose to experiment.
Now, there is another side to this.
Andy Reid, offensive line coach Andy Heck and the rest of Kansas City's staff have watched Benson every day. We've seen only a small fraction of his snaps. They've seen hundreds.
Reid's confidence isn't based on a highlight clip or a preseason scouting report. If he's willing to put Benson at left tackle, there's obviously something the coaching staff believes he can handle.
There's also something to be said for continuity. Rather than moving Moore from the right side and rearranging the offensive line again, Kansas City has spent time preparing Benson specifically to fill Simmons' spot. Reid clearly believes Benson belongs among the Chiefs' best five linemen right now.
And Reid has earned a little benefit of the doubt over the years.
Okay—a lot.
But even Hall of Fame coaches can make decisions worth questioning.
For me, this comes down to risk versus reward.
What's the upside of starting Benson at left tackle?
If he performs well, Kansas City may have discovered another long-term offensive-line piece. That's fantastic.
But what's the downside?
An inexperienced rookie could struggle against a dangerous Denver front while protecting a quarterback playing his first meaningful football since suffering a major knee injury.
Those two outcomes don't carry equal weight.
I'd rather be conservative.
Put Jaylon Moore at left tackle. Put Benson on the right side, where he has considerably more experience. Give Mahomes the veteran protecting his blind side. Help the tackles with Noah Gray or Travis Kelce when necessary. Use the running backs to chip edge rushers. Get the ball out quickly early in the game.
Do whatever it takes to let Mahomes settle back into football without spending Monday night running for his life.
Maybe Benson goes out there and makes all of us questioning the move look ridiculous.
I would be perfectly happy with that.
In fact, I hope that's exactly what happens.
But considering what happened to Mahomes last season—and considering how important this season is for a Chiefs team trying to get back to the postseason—I don't think this is the moment to prove how much faith you have in an undrafted rookie.
Sometimes the boring decision is the right decision.
And in Week 1, protecting Patrick Mahomes should matter a whole lot more than making a great underdog story even better.
What do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? Would you trust Kahlil Benson at left tackle against Denver, or move Jaylon Moore back to the blind side?
Sources: The original discussion comes from Owen Smith's Sept. 10 Arrowhead Addict article arguing that Kansas City should reconsider its left-tackle plan. Reid's comments about Benson, Simmons and the "five best guys" have also been reported by NBC Sports and other Chiefs reporters.
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