Andy Reid Praises Chiefs Rookie OT Kahlil Benson: ‘He’s Done a Heck of a Job’

Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson signed with Kansas City with an outside chance of making it through roster cuts. He's now protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side in the third week of the NFL regular season.

The Indiana product has been better than anyone could have imagined through his first pair of games in the red and gold. In both contests, he has received the start at left tackle in place of the injured Josh Simmons (back).

During his media availability on Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid discussed what he's seen from Benson. He has been quite impressed by the 24-year-old thus far.

"Listen, he's done a nice job," Reid said. "From what we are asking him to do, he's done a heck of a job. Every week's a new week, and the more people are able to study him, then you're going to get different looks and you got to be able to answer that. So, how you handle that is important."

Aug 28, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kahlil Benson (70) arrives prior to a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What makes Benson's rise so interesting is that he actually had no experience at left tackle before coming to KC. He primarily played on the right side at IU and Colorado, seeing the majority of his snaps at right tackle and right guard, with some time at left guard. His NFL debut was at a position he had no professional experience at.

In preseason action, Benson was a jack-of-all-trades for OL coach Andy Heck. He started the first game at right guard when Trey Smith was out with an injury, the next at right tackle, and the final one at left tackle when Simmons sustained his current ailment.

But despite questions about how he'd perform at a new spot, it didn't take long for Benson to silence them. He yielded just one QB pressure in the season-opening victory over the Denver Broncos, then was the highest-rated rookie among all first-year players on Pro Football Focus in last week's Sunday night win over the Colts.

Highest Graded NFL Rookie on Offense from Week 2:

🔴 Kahlil Benson, Chiefs: 81.3@IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/6CkIlT6X6z
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 22, 2026

As of Wednesday, Simmons is still not practicing and likely won't return this week vs. a rebuilding Dolphins squad. That puts Benson in line for his third consecutive start on the left side.

Yet even when Simmons makes his way back to the field, Benson is expected to stick in the starting rotation. He and veteran Jaylon Moore were battling it out for the right tackle spot until Simmons went down, and the consensus is that Benson won the job by a comfortable margin.

As Reid mentioned, opposing teams will start throwing new looks at the rookie now that there are two games of film on him. However, if there's anything he's proven in his young Chiefs tenure, it is that he has no issue adjusting to a new role.

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