For the first time all season, the Kansas City Chiefs were happy to bring back a somewhat familiar face to the practice field. Left tackle Josh Simmons, who had been dealing with a back injury for over a month, made his first on-field appearance to the delight of many Chiefs fans.
While Reid was staunch in his comments, saying that the Chiefs would "ease him back in", it's good to actually see him on the field with his teammates, hopefully gearing up to play real game snaps soon. It would no doubt benefit Patrick Mahomes, as while Khalil Benson has done a fine job in Simmons' stead, especially considering it's an entirely new position for the undrafted rookie, the talent gap was clear between the two, based solely on Simmons' tape last year.
He was a first-round pick for a reason. Simmons has all the measurables, the athletic traits, and skill level to be a multi-time All-Pro tackle. Many consider him the last-ditch effort as Mahomes' blindside protector for the rest of the QB's career. And while he has yet to show the consistency needed, by a long shot, to be considered a franchise cornerstone, Simmons return to the lineup will greatly impact this offense in a positive way, perhaps more than any possible receiver addition could.
Kansas City's left tackle returned to practice Tuesday on a limited basis as ramp up to game shape continues
If you were asking me, and keep in mind I have no inside sources of any kind, I would tell you to not expect to see Simmons out there this Sunday versus the Chargers. Reid saying that they are going to basically ramp him up is coach speak, for he's not playing this week. And in all honesty, Kansas City should be able to beat a 0-5 Chargers team at home without him.
What is more likely is that Simmons gets a couple of weeks of practice under his belt, reignites the chemistry he built with left guard Kingsley Suamataia last year, and makes his season debut against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. Now that is a game that the Chiefs are going to need top-level tackle play. Seattle's pass rush is fierce and ripe with depth.
It's a tall task to ask Simmons to go up against the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence and Unchenna Nwosu in his first game action, but it's the pros. This is not supposed to be easy. And for Simmons, like it or not, he cannot continue to flock toward what is safe and best for him. He needs to take a holistic approach to football and realize that it is the team that matters the most. And hopefully today's return to practice is the first step in him becoming a true team player.
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