While it’s been trending this way for months, Chiefs head coach all but made it official on Tuesday:
Patrick Mahomes is set to start the Week 1 matchup against the Broncos.
“Pretty good chance Patrick will go ahead and start, unless something were to come up here in the next couple days,” Reid said in his Tuesday video conference. “But, most likely, he’ll be the guy that’s out there.”
While Mahomes did not play in the preseason, he was an active participant in training camp and did not spend any time on the physically unable to perform list — despite suffering a torn ACL in December.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s shown everything there. He hasn’t missed a day, as you know,” Reid said. “You guys have seen him out there, so you know what it looks like, him running around and doing his stuff. Other than having a brace on his leg, everything looks normal. He’s running around the same way he’s always done and throwing the ball like he’s always done.
“So, I think we’ll be fine there.”
Mahomes, however, is unlikely to have his starting left tackle on the field with him in the Week 1 matchup against the Broncos. Josh Simmons is dealing with a back injury that has sidelined him.
“There’s a good chance Josh doesn’t play this week,” Reid said. “That’s where we’re at. So, we have that in our mind and I mean, he has an issue there that he’s working through. I’m not putting any time restraint on when he could come back, or when he could practice or how many practices he needs, and all that. I just want to make sure he’s healthy and OK to go. But other than that, we move forward.”
Kahlil Benson — an undrafted rookie out of Indiana — is in line to start at left tackle if Simmons is unable to play.
