The Kansas City Chiefs entered their Week 1 Monday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos with a handful of question marks. The team missed the playoffs for the first time during the Patrick Mahomes era last season, and many wondered if the magic was gone.
Mahomes himself was set to play his first game back from a speedy ACL recovery, and the team lost a number of their best defensive players in the offseason, including cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Furthermore, left tackle Josh Simmons was a late scratch because of a back issue, which thrusted Khalil Benson into action at the left tackle position.
Obviously, protecting Mahomes' blindside is always important, but that was even more so the case during the QB's first game back. Benson went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft after starting along the national champion Indiana Hoosiers' offensive line last season, albeit at the right tackle spot.
The rookie more than exceeded expectations, though. In 32 pass-blocking snaps, Benson allowed just one pressure, which equated to a 3.2% pass-rushing success rate. That pressure rate was the best among all rookies in Week 1, including three first-round picks.
Even more impressively, this success came against a Broncos defense that had 68 sacks last season, the fifth-best mark in NFL history. Benson had to deal with Nik Bonitto, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and he completely neutralized him. The Chiefs offense went off, reminding fans that this team is still in the midst of a dynasty. It is unclear what Benson's role will be upon Simmons' return, but he proved that he can be a contributor going forward.