Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowler Trey Smith says the job for the offensive line is simple and heavy: keep Patrick Mahomes calm and protected—especially after Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL late last season and Kansas City missed the postseason for the first time in
The Chiefs haven’t just been looking for a new season. They’ve been looking for Mahomes to be back—healthy, steady, and moving the way he’s always moved.
Patrick Mahomes’ year ended in Week 15 after he suffered a torn ACL in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. a setback that came before Kansas City later missed the postseason for the first time in 12 years. Mahomes had surgery to repair his ACL and LCL, and this past offseason he went through a grueling rehabilitation process.
He appears on track to be the starting quarterback when the Chiefs open their season in September. And Trey Smith, Mahomes’ Pro Bowl teammate, described the responsibility that sits directly in front of him—and directly on his own shoulders.
Smith spoke with the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista on “The Insiders” about the pressure offensive linemen feel to protect Mahomes. He said an offensive lineman’s job is to keep the quarterback composed and secure enough to operate.
“As an offensive lineman, you always feel the responsibility to keep your quarterback calm, protected, and allowing him to operate. You have the best quarterback in the game right now, so you want to just give him any opportunity to do what he does best,” Smith said.
He added that the pressure isn’t just personal—it’s shared across the unit as the season progresses.
“At the end of the day, I think the pressure is on us just as a team, and individually, you know what we can do to get better every single day,” he said. “At the end of the day, Patrick Mahomes is the best competitor I’ve ever been around.”
For Kansas City, the stakes are clear. Smith said their main goal as the year unfolds is to keep Mahomes healthy and on the field, to avoid repeating last season and to win games with him at full strength.
That comes with work to do up front. Recent FTN Fantasy football rankings placed the Chiefs’ offensive line at 20th in the league. Josh Simmons was identified as a strong pass protector. but the majority of their line was described as “unremarkable” last season. The same report called the group “middle of the pack” in protecting Mahomes.
The AFC doesn’t offer much room for error. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to make noise, and the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots are also in the mix.
Kansas City opens with a spotlight game— a Monday Night Football matchup against the Broncos on Sept. 14—with Mahomes expected to be fully recovered and starting.
Kansas City Chiefs Trey Smith Patrick Mahomes NFL Network The Insiders offensive line ACL injury LCL surgery Pro Bowl Monday Night Football Week 15 Broncos