We are less than two hours away from the Kansas City Chiefs kicking off the 2026 NFL season against the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.”
One of those two teams will join the Las Vegas Raiders atop the AFC West at 1-0, and the other will fall to 0-1 with the Los Angeles Chargers. Let’s take a look at the Chiefs’ list of inactive players for Week 1 against Denver.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Inactives Players List: DT Chris Jones Will Play
We already knew that offensive tackle Josh Simmons and safety Chamarri Conner would not play this week, as coach Andy Reid ruled them out on Saturday. Here is the full list of inactives for Kansas City:
- OT Josh Simmons
- S Chamarri Conner
- TE Jared Wiley
- LB Jack Pyburn
- OT Diego Pounds
- DT Bryson Eason
Defensive tackle Chris Jones missed Saturday’s practice with a calf injury, but Reid said it was mostly due to precaution and that he expected him to be available for Monday night. Jones is indeed active and will play, and hopefully doesn’t reaggravate the injury.
Here is the inactives list for the Broncos:
- QB Sam Ehlinger
- RB Tyler Badie
- OL Kage Casey
- TE Dallen Bentley
- DL Jordan Jackson
- DT Tyler Onyedim
No significant names for the Broncos here, as they are entering this matchup at full health. The lone player on their injury report leading up to this game was wide receiver Marvin Mims, but he practiced in full throughout the entire week.
Impact of Chiefs Missing Josh Simmons, Chamarri Conner
Being down Simmons and Conner definitely isn’t ideal. Simmons has tremendous upside as a franchise left tackle, and would certainly be an upgrade over undrafted rookie free agent Kahlil Benson, who will start in Simmons’ place.
Benson originally competed for the starting right tackle job during training camp, but Reid has been adamant that Benson is the right guy to replace Simmons on the left. Conner is entering his fourth season with Kansas City, and has a lot of trust from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
After remaking much of the secondary during the offseason, Conner is one of the longest tenured defensive back the Chiefs have. He can play many roles for Spagnuolo, such as deep safety, box safety, and nickelback. Taking over Conner’s role should be third-year man Jaden Hicks, who impressed during preseason.
Chiefs’ Inactives Reveal Chris Jones’ Availability After Injury Scare