Why is Andy Reid trusting Kahlil Benson with Patrick Mahomes’ blind side in Chiefs’ Week 1

Patrick Mahomes is expected to return from December knee surgery in Week 1. The Kansas City Chiefs may ask an undrafted rookie with zero college snaps at left tackle to protect his blind side.Kahlil Benson is expected to start against the Denver Broncos with Josh Simmons sidelined by a back injury. Andy Reid knows exactly how unusual that sounds. His response this week was simple: Kansas City would not put Benson there if the coaching staff did not believe he could handle it.Why does Andy Reid believe Kahlil Benson is ready to protect Patrick Mahomes?Benson’s rise has moved much faster than anyone could have reasonably expected in April.The Chiefs did not draft him. They initially brought the former Indiana and Colorado offensive lineman to rookie minicamp as a tryout player before signing him to the 90-man roster.Now he could open the season protecting Mahomes’ blind side.According to The Athletic’s Jesse Newell, Reid has never started an undrafted rookie in Week 1 during his first 13 seasons with Kansas City. The Chiefs have not started an undrafted rookie in an opener since fullback Mike Cox in 2008.There is another wrinkle. Benson primarily played guard and right tackle in college. He took zero snaps at left tackle.Reid still sounded firm when asked about the decision Thursday.“He’s done a nice job for us,” Reid said. “He’s obviously shown us that he has the ability to play, and we wouldn’t put him in there if we didn’t think that.”Reid wants Benson playing with confidence rather than treating the assignment like a temporary emergency.“We’ve all been through that. I think when we first got hired, we thought we probably were pretty good at it. So, I want his confidence to be that and go out and play and just use his abilities and write a good story.”The Chiefs have another option in veteran Jaylon Moore, who has made 18 career starts at left tackle. Reid instead appears prepared to use Moore on the right side and give Benson the more demanding assignment.That decision says more than any preseason depth chart could.Benson started with Kansas City’s third-team offensive line during organized team activities. He worked his way to the second team and eventually earned first-team opportunities during the offseason.The Chiefs are now trusting that climb when the games count.How is Patrick Mahomes handling the risk of starting an undrafted rookie at left tackle?Mahomes is not treating Benson’s inexperience as an excuse.Heavy Sports’ Nick Roesch reported Thursday that Mahomes placed part of the responsibility for avoiding sacks on himself. The quarterback said his job includes understanding how his blockers operate and getting the ball out before pressure turns into negative plays.“You have to learn the guy,” Mahomes said. “You get reps with the guy, and you learn how he blocks and how he does things. And just as important, it’s my job to get the ball out of my hands. You can’t hold the ball and take sacks.”That matters even more against Denver.The Broncos have led the NFL in sacks in each of the past two seasons, according to the reporting supplied for this story. Benson’s first NFL start could therefore come against one of the league’s most productive pass rushes.Mahomes, however, said Thursday that he trusts the players Reid and Kansas City’s coaches put on the field.“So, I’ve got trust in anyone that the coaches put out there, because I know that they’ve worked their tail off to be at that spot,” Mahomes said. “There’ll be mistakes here and there, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go out there and trust those guys and make the plays whenever the plays need to be made.”That leaves Kansas City with a fascinating Week 1 gamble.Benson went undrafted five months ago. He arrived at rookie minicamp needing to earn a roster spot. Now Reid is preparing to trust him with Mahomes’ blind side on “Monday Night Football.”If Benson holds up against Denver, his path from tryout player to starting left tackle will stop looking like a preseason story. It will become one of Reid’s boldest lineup decisions in years.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.