The Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 season will finally begin with Friday's showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. Recent history has been on the Chiefs' side in the form of seven consecutive wins over their AFC West rivals, but that doesn't mean head coach Andy Reid & Co. won't welcome some additional help if it means having a 1-0 start to the new campaign.
Fortunately, Los Angeles' latest injury report has just given Kansas City another boost. On Friday afternoon, Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith reported that Chargers guard Mekhi Becton "is questionable with an illness" and might miss the season opener.
Chiefs Defense Will Benefit from Chargers' Mekhi Becton Injury News
Even though Becton's questionable status opens the door for him to still play, the Chargers might not want to risk it. Their $20 million offseason addition is supposed to be an important part of their offensive line, and the last thing they'd want is to throw him into a situation he isn't ready to play through, especially against the defending AFC Champions.
Assuming Becton will miss Friday's Chiefs-Chargers throwdown, he'd be the second starting O-lineman missing for his team. Starting Los Angeles left tackle Rashawn Slater underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon last month, meaning Kansas City won't have to deal with the two-time Pro Bowl blocker, either.
With the Chargers potentially being without Becton and Slater, the Chiefs' pass rush must be salivating at Friday's matchup. Kansas City's pass rushers were among the NFL's best last season, finishing with the ninth-best Pro Football Focus grade (74.2). George Karlaftis led the charge with 8.5 sacks, and could be looking to do some damage after only yielding one sack in five previous tilts with Los Angeles.
Along with Karlaftis, the Chiefs will count on the likes of Mike Danna, Chris Jones, and Leo Chenal to make Chargers QB Justin Herbert's life as miserable as possible. A successful pass rush performance would not only reinforce who the team is to beat in the AFC West, but also that Kansas City's pressure-creators shouldn't be underestimated.
All signs point to the Chiefs beginning the 2025 NFL season on a strong note, and a potential Becton absence will only add to those vibes.