The Kansas City Chiefs invested a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to end their years-long struggle with blindside protection. In a limited sample size, it looked like Josh Simmons was the right guy for the job last year.
However, the former Ohio State star is now dealing with a weird back injury, making this the second time in as many years he's had to miss extensive time. More importantly, it's the second time everyone seems to be kind of guessing and in the dark about what's truly going on.
Just last week, head coach Andy Reid revealed that Simmons wouldn't need surgery and would avoid a stint on injured reserve. Now, ESPN insider Nate Taylor reports that there's no indication whatsoever that he'll even practice. So, what's going on?
There's no 'vibes' that Josh Simmons will return to practice
“I have no vibes,” Taylor said on 96.5 The Fan. “Let me say this, I’ll be surprised if he practices next week. None of this has been clear-cut, even the things I was told early on in training camp. That might have been true at the time, but it changed. I don’t think he’s had a setback by definition, but he also maybe hasn’t progressed as fast as he or they have wanted.”
This is just bizarre. What's the holdup? The Chiefs have been too tight-lipped about the injury, and this is just an odd way to handle the situation. Why can't they just say what's truly happening here? Do they even know?
Availability is the best ability, and the Chiefs must find someone they can lean on at left tackle. Is it that he's healthy enough to play, but he doesn't want to? Is this something that will linger for the remainder of his career? Is it both? These are all valid questions worth asking, and the Chiefs owe everyone some clarity.
The lack of information leads to speculation, and that's the last thing this team needs right now. They're trending in the right direction after a tough 6-11 season, and they shouldn't have to deal with all this outside noise and baseless claims. Then again, that's also self-inflicted.
Josh Simmons isn't the first guy to deal with a back injury, nor will he be the last. The mere fact that they haven't been transparent about the injury makes it sound way more serious than it is, or it shows a lack of understanding and communication, which might actually be worse.
The Chiefs are on their bye week and will have more time to rest and plan ahead for Week 6. That felt like the perfect time to get Simmons back on the field and potentially slide Kahlil Benson back to his natural right tackle spot. Now, it's impossible to know what to expect or even if he'll ever be back.
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