The Kansas City Chiefs begin their 2026 redemption tour on Monday Night Football, when they take on the Denver Broncos, the team that last year kicked them off their perch atop the AFC West that Kansas City had occupied for nine straight years.
After reaching the Super Bowl in five of he previous six seasons, and winning three times, the Chiefs won only six games in 2026 for their first losing season since Andy Reid took over as head coach in 2013.
When they face the Broncos, the Chiefs will be missing an important piece of their protection package for future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Left tackle Josh Simmons will not be there to protect Mahomes’ blind side when the Chiefs open their season Monday night. The team ruled out its 2025 first-round left tackle against the Denver Broncos with a lower back injury that has kept him out of practice for weeks.
That leaves undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson stepping in for his first career game, tasked with shielding a quarterback still working his way back from a torn ACL against a Denver pass rush that led the NFL in sacks a year ago.
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — INACTIVES | |
|---|---|
| Week 1 • Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos • MNF | |
| Player | Position |
| Jared Wiley | TE |
| Garrett Nussmeier (3rd QB) | QB |
| Chamarri Conner | DB |
| Jack Pyburn | DE |
| Diego Pounds | T |
| Josh Simmons | T |
| Bryson Eason | DT |
| 7 players inactive. September 14, 2026 • GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO • 5:15 PM ET • ESPN / ABC. Source: Kansas City Chiefs official account. | |
Josh Simmons’ Back Injury Timeline
Simmons hasn’t taken a practice rep since mid-August, when the back issue first surfaced during training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. He sat out the preseason finale and was a non-participant through this week’s practice sessions, missing more than three weeks of on-field work heading into Monday’s opener.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid offered little certainty on Simmons’ return.
“Josh is rehabbing. He’s working his tail off,” Reid said last week. “This isn’t anything other than him having an issue with his back, and it’s just a matter of time here. He continues to work hard with Rick and do his part there.”
Kansas City has not placed Simmons on injured reserve, a move that would sideline him until at least Week 5. Keeping him off that list leaves a path back onto the field as soon as the back cooperates, according to Pro Football Rumors.
Whether Simmons will stand on the sideline Monday night in street clothes remains unclear. The Chiefs have only confirmed his inactive status. Benson, an Indiana product who started a dozen games at right tackle for the Hoosiers last season, will make his first career NFL start protecting Mahomes, according to NBC Sports’ Mike Florio. Defensive back Chamarri Conner will also sit out Monday’s opener with a knee injury, leaving Kansas City thin at two spots against a Denver roster built to exploit both.
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | H/A | Kickoff (ET) | Network |
| 1 | Mon, Sep 14 | Denver Broncos | Home | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | Indianapolis Colts | Home | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | @ Miami Dolphins | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | Away | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| WK 5 — BYE WEEK | |||||
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | Home | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | @ Seattle Seahawks | Away | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | @ Denver Broncos | Away | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | New York Jets | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | @ Atlanta Falcons | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | Arizona Cardinals | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 12 | Thu, Nov 26 | @ Buffalo Bills | Away | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 13 | Thu, Dec 3 | @ Los Angeles Rams | Away | 5:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Away | 1:25 PM | FOX |
| 15 | Mon, Dec 21 | New England Patriots | Home | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Home | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 17 | TBD — Flex Game | @ Los Angeles Chargers | Away | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD — Flex Game | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Bye in Week 5. Weeks 17 and 18 are flex games — dates and broadcasts TBD. Confirmed from official team graphic, September 14, 2026. | |||||
Josh Simmons’ Injury History and Background
This isn’t Simmons’ first extended absence. Last October, he left the team hours before a game against the Detroit Lions for what the Chiefs called a personal matter, missing four games over 22 days before rejoining the club during its bye week.
Simmons then dislocated and fractured his left wrist during a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys, an injury that required surgery and closed his rookie season on injured reserve after eight starts.
Born in San Diego, Simmons began his college career at San Diego State before transferring to Ohio State, where he anchored the offensive line until a torn patellar tendon ended his final season prematurely. The Chiefs selected him 32nd overall in the 2025 draft after trading back one spot with the Philadelphia Eagles. His father, Nelson, played three seasons in Major League Baseball, and his uncle, Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala, spent seven years in the NFL as a fullback.
Kansas City, coming off a 6-11 finish in 2025, enters Monday as 2 1/2-point favorites over a Broncos team that won the AFC West and claimed the conference’s top playoff seed a year ago. How long Simmons stays sidelined could determine how much stability the retooled offensive line can offer Mahomes this year.
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