Chiefs Put Simmons on IR — Benson's Blindside Test Gets Tougher
GOATIFYThe Kansas City Chiefs are 5-0, but protecting Patrick Mahomes is getting harder. On Thursday, Kansas City placed second-year left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve because his back injury has not recovered enough for game action.
Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson has handled the blind side, and the Chiefs have kept winning. Now right tackle Jaylon Moore is in concussion protocol, making Joshua Ezeudu a likely replacement against Seattle on Sunday night.
Why the first-round cornerstone is still waiting
Kansas City used the final first-round pick of the 2025 draft on Josh Simmons because the club believed he could become its long-term answer at left tackle. The former Ohio State standout offered the movement skills and balance needed to guard a quarterback's blind side. Simmons had already dealt with a significant knee injury in college, but the Chiefs saw enough upside to invest a premium selection. The first season showed flashes of promise without providing the consistent availability the team had envisioned.
Simmons started eight games as a rookie. Time away for personal reasons interrupted his season, and a later hand injury ended it. He entered the following training camp eager to establish himself as the reliable starter Kansas City expected when it drafted him. The early outlook was encouraging. He had prepared carefully and looked ready for a larger role. Yet before the regular season began, a separate physical problem emerged and changed the Chiefs' offensive-line plans again.
His 2026 season did not begin as planned. A problem surfaced in camp and kept him out of the opening games. Kansas City initially hoped he could return quickly.
Kansas City kept him on the active roster because a limited return to practice last week suggested progress. The possibility of a faster return was worth preserving. Yet the coaching staff ultimately decided that a few controlled practice repetitions were not enough to justify a full game workload.
For an offensive tackle, the final step is especially demanding. Every pass play can require a collision with a powerful defender, a quick change of direction and a second effort when the quarterback moves. That workload is difficult to reproduce in a brief practice appearance. The decision to move Simmons to IR reflects the gap between being able to participate and being ready to start.
Simmons now must miss at least four more games. Week 11 against Arizona is the earliest point at which he could be eligible to return, but eligibility is not a promise that he will be ready. The Chiefs have removed a weekly roster question and can prepare around the players who are available. The longer-term objective is to regain the first-round talent they invested in, not simply rush a short appearance. Kansas City has stayed unbeaten without Simmons. That does not make his development unimportant; it gives the team a chance to handle his absence patiently.
Benson has become more than an emergency replacement
The easiest mistake is to describe Simmons' absence as an empty spot in front of Patrick Mahomes. Kahlil Benson has already played the opening five games at left tackle, and Kansas City has won every one of them. That does not mean the rookie has erased every pressure or carried the offense alone. It means the coaches found a workable starter at a position where uncertainty can overwhelm a game plan.
Benson's route to this job was far from guaranteed. The former Indiana lineman entered the league undrafted, had to prove himself in camp and then faced a starting assignment against established NFL pass rushers. The transition requires more than size. Tackles must recognize defensive alignments, communicate with the guard beside them and adjust their footwork when the quarterback changes the depth of the pocket.
Continuity is the biggest advantage Benson has created. Rather than change left tackles each week, the Chiefs have allowed a young player to learn alongside the same teammates and develop a feel for Mahomes' movement. Center Creed Humphrey's communication and the guard's help are important parts of that process. A quarterback who extends plays can be difficult to protect even with experienced blockers, so everyone must understand the same plan.
Benson has received recognition for his early-season play, but opposing defenses will keep looking for weaknesses. They can attack his inside shoulder, disguise pressure or force him to handle a speed rush without help. A rookie may win fifty snaps and still lose a decisive one late in a game. The coaching staff must balance its trust in Benson with protections that prevent every possession from becoming a test of one isolated blocker.
Mahomes can contribute by identifying pressure before the snap and getting the ball out on schedule when needed. Tight ends and running backs can chip at the edge, while the offense can use motion to change a defender's angle. None of those adjustments requires abandoning aggressive passing. The goal is to choose the right moments to hold the ball, rather than asking an inexperienced tackle to survive an extended one-on-one matchup on every third down.
There is a longer-term benefit if Benson continues to develop. Kansas City could eventually have two credible options at left tackle instead of one, and that might give the staff flexibility elsewhere along the line. Those decisions can wait until Simmons is ready. For the coming month, Benson is not merely filling time until a first-round pick returns. He is the starter, with an opportunity to show that the role belongs to him on merit.
Seattle will test both edges of Mahomes' protection
The Simmons decision arrives at an awkward time for Kansas City. Jaylon Moore, the starting right tackle, is in concussion protocol, leaving Joshua Ezeudu as a likely option on the opposite edge for Sunday's trip to Seattle. Mahomes could therefore face the Seahawks with an undrafted rookie on his left and a reserve who joined the club only recently on his right. That is a demanding combination against a defense that can vary its pressure looks.
Ezeudu is not an unknown player. The Giants selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft, and Kansas City acquired him for a future seventh-round pick in August. He stepped in after Moore left the Chargers game. Andy Reid praised the way Ezeudu handled that opportunity. Still, completing a game after an injury is different from preparing all week as the probable starter, with an opponent studying every available snap.
The tactical answer is not necessarily to become cautious on every play. Kansas City can use motion, quick throws and play-action to change where the rush is aimed while preserving opportunities for Mahomes to attack downfield. What matters is avoiding predictable situations in which both tackles must hold up against fresh defenders for several seconds. A manageable second down gives the entire offense more options than a desperate third-and-long.
The running game belongs in the same conversation. Kenneth Walker III can force defenders to respect the ground attack, and his return to Seattle gives the matchup an extra storyline after his time with the Seahawks. A credible rushing threat can slow an edge rusher's first step and help the line establish rhythm. That advantage disappears if the Chiefs abandon the run whenever an early carry fails to produce a big gain.
The standings show that the Chiefs have handled adversity so far. Their 22-6 win over the Chargers improved the record to 5-0, a start that gives Reid room to manage personnel without panicking over one difficult week. But Seattle presents a different environment and a new test of communication. Crowd noise can complicate protection calls, and an opponent that forces obvious passing downs can attack both edges repeatedly.
The broader question is whether Kansas City can preserve its offensive identity while the intended lineup remains unavailable. Reid does not need a perfect offensive line to win. He needs a coherent plan that accounts for its strengths and limits. If Benson continues to improve and Ezeudu holds his own, the Chiefs can buy Simmons more recovery time without sacrificing their ambitions. Sunday's result will offer a useful measure of that resilience.
Simmons' move to injured reserve is disappointing because Kansas City drafted him to make blindside protection a long-term strength. The decision does not close that possibility; it postpones the next meaningful test. Benson has earned the right to be judged as a starter, while Ezeudu faces a chance to prove the team's depth.
The Chiefs' record shows they have managed this challenge well. Seattle will ask whether Mahomes and his coaches can keep the offense balanced and decisive with both tackle spots unsettled.
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