The Kansas City Chiefs are placing left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve, the team announced. But the story runs deeper than a Super Bowl contender losing its starting left tackle for, most likely, the remainder of the season.
On Thursday, Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rich Burkholder told reporters that Simmons reported a leg issue on August 17, which the team determined was related to a bulging disc in his back. Burkholder said Simmons saw a specialist who recommended therapy instead of surgery.
Simmons has not played a down this season. He practiced in a limited capacity last week for the first time since reporting the injury to Burkholder. On Wednesday, the team listed him as a non-participant in practice for “back/non-injury personal reasons.”
Burkholder said Simmons used the day to speak with his family before deciding it would be best to go on injured reserve. The designation requires Simmons to miss at least four games.
Put bluntly, skepticism about the Chiefs’ version of events is warranted.
In August, reporters close to the team repeatedly reported that the injury was minor and that Simmons would return by Week 1. He didn’t.
The next explanation was that the Chiefs had not placed him on injured reserve because they expected him to play within the first four weeks. He never did.
So what changed?
Burkholder says Simmons “plateaued” in his recovery. If so, head coach Andy Reid was unaware. On Monday, Reid said Simmons would continue to “ramp up” this week. On Wednesday morning, Reid did not include Simmons among the players who would not practice.
ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE KNOWS WHEN JOSH SIMMONS WILL RETURN — PERHAPS INCLUDING THE CHIEFS
The team’s explanation is that Reid simply forgot to mention his starting left tackle’s status.
Simmons’ history adds another mysterious element to the situation. In fact, “mysterious” was the word ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler used to describe it last month.
Fowler’s comment was notable because most other top national NFL reporters have avoided the story entirely. Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport host injury-related segments throughout the week on ESPN and NFL Network, yet neither has addressed the prolonged absence of Patrick Mahomes’ starting left tackle. Meanwhile, they have provided countless updates on backup linebackers and kicker competitions.
“Mysterious” also describes Simmons’ rookie season a year ago. He missed an entire month due to what the team called a “personal matter.” ESPN reported at the time that members of the organization were unaware of why Simmons did not show up before a Week 6 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
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In August, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame added that Simmons left the team the night before the game and that there was a period during which the team did not know his whereabouts. OutKick had heard the same and emailed Chiefs general manager Brett Veach for comment. He did not respond.
There were also questions about Simmons ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Reports indicated that he had fully recovered from a patellar tendon injury but that some teams had taken him off their draft boards because of “character” concerns. Simmons fell to the final pick of the first round, where the Chiefs selected him 32nd overall.
The result: Simmons has played in just eight games over his first two NFL seasons.
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Taken together, the lack of clarity surrounding his disappearance last season, the pre-draft reporting, and the conflicting expectations surrounding his current injury have naturally raised questions about his latest absence.
At the very least, it’s fair to say Simmons has proven unreliable. Even the Chiefs appear unable to determine when, or if, he will play, as evidenced by their decision to wait more than two months after he initially reported the injury to place him on injured reserve.
At this point, no one can reasonably assume Simmons will return this season after he becomes eligible. Likewise, the Chiefs cannot go into another year with Simmons as their unquestioned starting left tackle.
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Whether the issue is injuries, personal matters, character concerns, or some combination of the three, Simmons has proven that the Chiefs can’t rely on him to fill one of the most important positions in football. His job is to protect Patrick Mahomes, the most valuable asset in the NFL.
No one should be surprised if Simmons never plays for the Chiefs again. Given the concerns that already existed before the draft, his future in the NFL is now legitimately in question.
