Patrick Mahomes is expected to start Kansas City’s season opener Monday against the Denver Broncos, according to coach Andy Reid.

Mahomes has been working his way back from December surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, and Reid’s update brings the Chiefs about as close to certainty as they’ve been all offseason, though it stops short of a guarantee.

“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.”

Since the offseason began, Mahomes has made it his mission to be in uniform for Week 1. He was held out of the preseason as a precaution, but he hasn’t missed a single Chiefs practice since training camp opened, and he was cleared in late July to participate in all football activities. It’s the kind of methodical, no-setbacks comeback that echoes what another quarterback returning from injury has had to navigate under similar scrutiny.

The Protection Question at Left Tackle

With Mahomes trending toward a return to the lineup, the Chiefs’ bigger unresolved issue is who will protect his blindside. Josh Simmons, Kansas City’s 2025 first-round pick, is unlikely to play against Denver because of a lower-back injury he sustained in camp.

“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.”

That opens the door for undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson, who struggled in pass protection during the preseason, to potentially make his NFL debut as the starting left tackle. If that happens, veteran Jaylon Moore, who has experience at left tackle, would likely slide over to protect the right side instead.

“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.”

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