Mahomes Set to Start Week 1 vs. Broncos as Chiefs' Left Tackle Fades
Andy Reid says Mahomes looks normal nine months post-ACL, but rookie Kahlil Benson may draw the Nik Bonitto assignment on his blind side.
He's cleared to play Week 1 — you're not benching a top-10 QB.
- Mahomes ~9 months removed from torn ACL
- 2025: 3,587 pass yds, 22 TD, 0 INT, 304 PPR pts
- Our #19 overall, #9 QB entering 2026
- LT Josh Simmons likely out with back injury
- Broncos led NFL with 68 sacks in 2025
Patrick Mahomes is on track to start Kansas City's Monday night opener against the Broncos, just shy of nine months after tearing his ACL. Andy Reid said there's a strong chance Mahomes lines up under center barring anything unexpected over the next couple of days, calling the QB's practice work completely normal aside from a brace on his leg.
That's the news fantasy managers wanted. Mahomes played only 14 games in 2025 — his first non-full season since 2020 outside of Week 18 rest — and still put up 3,587 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and zero interceptions, adding 422 rushing yards and five scores for 304 PPR points. He enters 2026 as our No. 19 overall player and the No. 9 quarterback.
Reid didn't hedge much on the timeline. He noted Mahomes hasn't missed a practice day and is throwing and moving the way he always has. For a player returning from a major knee injury, "everything looks normal" is about as clean a bill of health as you get in early September.
The Protection Problem
The complication isn't Mahomes — it's who's blocking for him. Left tackle Josh Simmons is battling a back issue and trending toward missing Monday, with Reid declining to set a return timeline. That would push undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson into an NFL debut protecting Mahomes' blind side, and Kansas City's offensive line depth was already a training-camp worry.
The matchup makes it worse. Denver led the league with 68 sacks last season, and Benson could draw Nik Bonitto, who racked up 14 sacks and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. That's a rough first assignment for a rookie, and it puts a modest ceiling on Mahomes' Week 1 upside even in a game where the Chiefs are three-point home favorites.
For fantasy purposes, you start Mahomes — he's a top-10 QB and he's healthy enough to go. Just temper expectations slightly given the pass-rush pressure and the fact he averaged 6.3 fewer fantasy points over his final five games of 2025 versus his season mark. Think safe QB1, not league-winning smash spot, until the line settles.
