KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Patrick Mahomes is expected to start the Kansas City Chiefs' season opener Monday against the Denver Broncos, according to coach Andy Reid.
Since the Chiefs' offseason began, Mahomes has made it his mission to be in uniform for Week 1, even though he had surgery in December to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee.
Although he was held out of the preseason, Mahomes has not missed any of the Chiefs' practices since the start of training camp, when he was cleared in late July to participate in all football activities.
"There's a pretty good chance Patrick will go ahead and start, unless something were to come up here in the next couple days," Reid said Tuesday. "Most likely, he'll be the guy out there. Other than having a brace on his leg, everything looks normal. He's running around the same way he's always done. I think he'll be fine there."
With Mahomes expected to start, the Chiefs' one remaining question is who will play left tackle and protect the star quarterback's blind side.
Reid said Josh Simmons, the Chiefs' 2025 first-round pick, is unlikely to play against the Broncos because of a lower back injury, one he sustained in camp three weeks ago.
"Josh is rehabbing and working his tail off," Reid said. "He's 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]. I'm not putting any time restraint on when he can come back or when he can practice. I just want to make sure he's healthy and OK to go."
Reid suggested it's possible that undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson, who struggled in pass protection during the preseason, could make his NFL debut Monday as the starting left tackle. If that happens, Jaylon Moore, a five-year veteran with experience at the left tackle position, would start at right tackle.
"We try to play the five best guys," Reid said. "We're comfortable with Kahlil on either side and he's been [practicing] the left side. He's doing a nice job with it. If he has to be the left tackle, he's the left tackle and we roll with it. That's how that goes."
