Josh Simmons
Josh Simmons
Josh Simmons not being available for Week 1 is frustrating.
The Kansas City Chiefs finally believe they have found their long-term answer at left tackle, and now Simmons could miss Monday night’s season opener against the Denver Broncos because of a back injury. If he can’t go, rookie Kahlil Benson could be asked to start at left tackle.
But if Simmons missing one game makes you question whether the Chiefs are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, then the problem is bigger than the left tackle position.
If we’re talking about Kansas City as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, then Josh Simmons cannot be the difference between this team being great and this team falling apart.
That’s the standard I have for the Chiefs this season.
I want Simmons on the field. I believe he will be Kansas City’s left tackle for a long time. The Chiefs clearly believe the same thing after making him a first-round pick in 2025.
His injury is frustrating for everyone.
But it shouldn’t change how we view Kansas City’s chances this season.
The Chiefs Should Be Good Enough to Win Without Josh Simmons
Denver Is Going to Test the Chiefs
Monday night’s game is so interesting. Denver isn’t an easy opponent.
The Broncos won the AFC West last season and finished with the best record in the AFC. Their defense was one of the biggest reasons why, recording 68 sacks during the regular season.
Denver finished second in the NFL in total defense, allowing just 278.2 yards per game. The Broncos were also third in scoring defense at 18.3 points per game, second against the run at 91.1 yards per game and seventh against the pass at 187.2 yards per game. They were also one of the best defenses in the NFL at getting off the field. Denver allowed conversions on just 33.8% of third downs. The Broncos also ranked first in red-zone touchdown rate at 42.6%.
So yes, if Josh Simmons doesn’t play, Kansas City is going to have a problem to solve.
The Broncos have the type of defense that can make life difficult for an offensive line, especially one that is missing its projected starting left tackle.
That’s a real concern.
But this is also where I think the expectations for the Chiefs have to be considered.
If we’re going to call Kansas City a legitimate Super Bowl contender, then this is the type of game they need to be able to win.
Simmons being unavailable would make the job harder. It shouldn’t make it impossible.
Patrick Mahomes is still the quarterback. The Chiefs still have Andy Reid. They still have the rest of their offensive line, their running game, and their receivers.
Everyone is going to have to do their part.
And that’s what I’m interested in seeing Monday night. Whether Kansas City can find a way to move the football against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Because if the Chiefs can’t win unless every important player is healthy, then maybe we’re giving this team too much credit when we call them a Super Bowl contender.
The Chiefs Can’t Need Everything to Be Perfect
Nobody should pretend losing the starting left tackle doesn’t matter.
It does.
Protecting Mahomes is one of the most important jobs on this football team.
But there is a big difference between saying the Chiefs are better with Simmons and saying the Chiefs can’t win without him.
The first statement is clear and obvious. The second raises bigger questions about the rest of the roster.
If Kansas City cannot overcome the absence of one starting offensive lineman for one game, then it becomes hard to view this team as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The NFL doesn’t allow teams to stay perfectly healthy for 17 games.
Someone is going to get hurt. Someone is going to miss time.
A backup is going to have to become a starter.
A player who looks like a major part of the team’s plans in September might not be available in January.
That’s football.
That’s why depth matters.
It’s also why good teams have to be able to adjust.
Kansas City has been adjusting at left tackle for years.
Since Orlando Brown Jr. left after the 2022 season, the Chiefs have gone through Donovan Smith, Wanya Morris, Kingsley Suamataia, D.J. Humphries and Joe Thuney at the position. Other players, including Esa Pole and Kahlil Benson, have also taken reps at left tackle.
In 2024 alone, four different players started at left tackle for Kansas City.
The Chiefs were still able to win plenty of games because of their culture and their GRIT. They played as a strong unit instead of as individuals.
This game is looking like one that should be a good team win.
With Simmons out, Kansas City has to find another way to protect Mahomes.
Leaning on the running game should help keep Denver’s pass rush from teeing off on obvious passing downs.
Andy Reid and the coaching staff have to put Mahomes in favorable situations.
And Mahomes has to do what he has done throughout his career and find ways to make plays when things don’t go according to plan.
That’s what a Super Bowl team is supposed to do.
The Chiefs are going to have problems this season.
But does Kansas City have enough talent, depth, and coaching to overcome them?
If they do, then they are a team that belongs in the Super Bowl conversation.
The Defense Has to Help
The Chiefs shouldn’t need Mahomes to score 30 points every week.
The defense was the more reliable side of the football last season. Kansas City allowed 19.3 points per game, which ranked sixth in the NFL, while the offense averaged just 21.3 points per game.
The Kansas City defense still had some flaws. They had only 35 sacks, and the pass rush wasn’t as consistent as the Chiefs needed it to be.
The Chiefs also struggled to get off the field on third down. Kansas City allowed opponents to convert 43.6% of their third-down attempts, which ranked 29th in the NFL.
The pressure numbers were good, ranking 10th in pressure rate, but the defense struggled to turn that pressure into sacks. The Chiefs ranked 22nd in the league.
Steve Spagnuolo has always been willing to bring pressure, but blitzing has become more difficult in today’s NFL. Quarterbacks are seeing more complex pressure packages at every level of football, and the best quarterbacks are prepared to recognize where the pressure is coming from before the ball is snapped.
Blitzing can sometimes be like putting your hand in the cookie jar after Mom says not to.
If the quarterback recognizes the pressure and gets the ball out quickly, the defense can leave itself vulnerable on the back end.
The Chiefs need to be able to create pressure with three or four pass rushers while still allowing Spagnuolo to disguise the coverage behind them.
That is the biggest thing the defense needs to do better this season.
The good news is that Kansas City has added some young talent that could help.
Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas, Jaden Hicks and Mansoor Delane have all had moments during training camp that have gotten people excited about what this defense could become.
With the young players making an immediate impact, the Chiefs could have a defense that takes the next step.
That would be especially important against Denver.
If the Broncos’ defense makes life difficult for Mahomes, Kansas City’s defense has to keep the game within reach.
They need the defense to give the offense opportunities, get off the field on third down, and create pressure without constantly having to send extra rushers.
That’s how Kansas City can survive a night when everything isn’t perfect offensively.
The Last Word
Josh Simmons
Aug 28, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
None of this changes the opinion of Josh Simmons. He is still the long-term answer at left tackle for Kansas City.
His injury is frustrating because everyone wants to see what Simmons can do over a full season protecting Mahomes and establishing himself at the position. The fans and media have every right to be frustrated and concerned about how his absence could impact the start of the season. But Simmons’ injury isn’t his fault. It’s not something Kansas City can control.
If Simmons isn’t ready to play Monday night, should Kansas City really consider keeping Mahomes on the sideline until its starting left tackle is healthy?
That feels like taking the concern too far. Mahomes needs to play.
The Chiefs need to find out what this team looks like when things aren’t perfect.
The offense needs to rely on the entire unit instead of waiting for Mahomes to create another moment of magic. The offensive line needs to do its job, the running game needs to help control Denver’s pass rush, and the receivers need to get open.
The defense has an opportunity of its own.
Bo Nix is coming off an injury, and Kansas City’s defense needs to take advantage of that. The Chiefs need to pressure him, create some havoc, and make Denver’s offense uncomfortable.
That’s how Kansas City can win this game without Josh Simmons.
Good teams find ways to overcome adversity. They don’t need every player to be healthy. They don’t need every plan to work. They don’t need everything to go right.
They adjust.
That’s the standard Kansas City has to meet if it wants to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Josh Simmons will get healthy.He will have an opportunity to establish himself as Kansas City’s left tackle for a long time.
But the Chiefs have 17 games to play, and there is no guarantee every important player will be healthy for all of them.
Kansas City needs Simmons. It also needs to be good enough to win when Simmons isn’t available.
I would love for Josh Simmons to play Monday night. The Chiefs are better with him.
But I don’t think the Chiefs need him to beat Denver. If they do, then maybe the expectations for this team are too high.
If one missing offensive lineman makes Kansas City incapable of competing, then the rest of the roster isn’t ready for the expectations that come with being a Super Bowl contender.
I think that’s the case.
Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, a defense capable of making plays and an entire roster that has to do its job.
Monday night isn’t just about whether Josh Simmons plays.
It’s about whether the Chiefs can prove they are good enough to win when something goes wrong.
I believe they are.
Now they have to prove it.
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