For most of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs have had one glaring flaw: Blindside protection. As dominant as they've been, the left tackle position has been a big headache for Brett Veach and Andy Reid.
So far, the Chiefs have had Orlando Brown Jr., Eric Fisher, Mike Remmers, Andrew Wylie, Donovan Smith, Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris, D.J. Humphries, and even Joe Thuney start at left tackle to protect Mahomes' blindside.
That's why Josh Simmons could play such a crucial role for this team going forward. And with some thinking that we've already seen the best of this team, a strong performance in the season opener could turn the narrative around.
Josh Simmons Needs to Hit The Ground Running
The Chiefs took Josh Simmons with the final pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The rookie out of Ohio State drew rave reviews in training camp and looked as good as advertised in limited preseason action. He didn't allow a single pressure and drew an 84.1 PFF grade over 26 pass-blocking snaps.
He will begin his career in an international divisional matchup against a Los Angeles Chargers team that was tied for the sixth-most sacks last season (46.0). They sacked Mahomes three times and hit him 13 times in their last outing, so this will be a perfect setting to prove how much he can improve this team.
The Philadelphia Eagles exploited the Chiefs' shaky offensive line in Super Bowl LIX, sacking Mahomes a career-worst six times. He kept running into the pressure and running for his life in a collapsed pocket, which was the same issue the team faced four years earlier in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Chiefs' offense hasn't been the same over the past couple of years. Tyreek Hill's departure may have had something to do with that, but Mahomes still led the league in passing yards (5,250) and passing touchdowns (43) in his first year without Hill.
People can also attribute that to the injuries to the receiving corps and Travis Kelce's production taking a dive, and that could also be a legitimate point. Then again, it's hard to keep the chains in motion and stay consistent without solid blindside protection, and that's when Simmons can be the missing piece for this puzzle.
The Chiefs have been the team to beat in the league for the better part of the decade, regardless of how many times opposing teams' fans and the media claim that they're in decline. This team is hurt and has a huge chip on its shoulder, which is why they need to show that they've found the guy they needed in their very first game of the season.