The Kansas City Chiefs camp had been waiting for a positive update about Josh Simmons. Injuries have been a major problem for Simmons, yet the Chiefs drafted him in the first round of the 2025 draft, hoping he would become the franchise left tackle. His rookie season was limited to eight games as he suffered a dislocated and fractured left wrist last season. He did come up in training camp. But in August, a new problem turned up. Cut to October, the Chiefs made a call. 

“Josh worked his tail off. He worked diligently with my staff every day, and he improved to the point where he returned to practice in a limited capacity last week,” Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said. “However, we feel he plateaued in the recovery process. … He’s just not there yet.”

Before the update, the former Chiefs left tackle Willie Roaf challenged Simmons to play through his pain: “If it’s pain, then you got to be able to play through it.”

“I mean, it’s the NFL. If we got to worry about you being in and out of the lineup, and your mental stability, it’s a different league with the mental part of this. These kids get to transfer in college; that’s not how the pros work. These guys are used to a little more pampering going on. You’re going to have to grow up and understand that you’re a professional athlete. You have a responsibility to be ready to play every week,” Roaf said on the October 20 episode of the Arrowhead Allies podcast.

Kansas City took a chance on Simmons, who was coming off a serious knee injury at Ohio State. He worked hard and recovered to return for his rookie season. After starting the first five games last season, Simmons missed time to deal with personal matters. He resumed his starting role for three games before a fractured and dislocated hand placed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.

Simmons reported to training camp in late July in good spirits, hoping to move beyond his injury history. But on Aug. 17, he began experiencing calf discomfort, and the Chiefs’ training staff determined that it stemmed from his back. Simmons underwent an MRI exam that confirmed he suffered from a herniated and bulging disk. With further examination, it was confirmed that rehabilitation would be enough for Simmons to recover. 

However, this entire process of delay has led many to call out Simmons, given the urgency of his situation. Before Roaf, it was Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. 

“Unfortunately, Simmons missed nine games during his rookie season due to a personal absence and a wrist injury,” he wrote. “He wasn’t particularly great when he was on the field, either, which left him with plenty to prove heading into Year 2. Simmons wasn’t a part of Kansas City’s dominant Week 1 victory, as he was ruled out with a back injury. 

“Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson got the start in Simmons’ stead, and while Benson wasn’t great (ranked 54th among tackles by PFF), he wasn’t any more of a liability than Simmons has been when healthy. If Simmons hopes to lock down a starting job with the Chiefs, he has to get back on the field and prove that he is more than a replacement-level player.”

Reports from those close to the team in August suggested Simmons had a minor injury and would return by Week 1. But he didn’t. The Chiefs were then believed to have kept him off IR because they expected him to be back within the first four weeks, but that window never arrived.

While Roaf urged him to play through the pain to prove his commitment, Kansas City Chiefs beat reporter Nate Taylor stood in Simmons’ support. 

Chiefs Insider Defends Josh Simmons Amid Commitment Questions

There has been a lot of “mystery” surrounding Simmons ever since he joined Kansas City. He has played in just eight games over his first two NFL seasons. Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated added in August that Simmons left the team on the eve of a game, leaving the organization uncertain about his whereabouts for a period. OutKick had heard similar reports and emailed Chiefs general manager Brett Veach for a response, but he did not reply.

Simmons had also faced scrutiny ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Reports suggested that while he had recovered fully from a patellar tendon injury, certain teams had taken him off their draft boards because of concerns about his character. He had a chance to prove himself in the Chiefs squad, but in his rookie year, he missed an entire month due to what the team called a “personal matter.” However, Taylor does not agree with the claims that Simmons lacks commitment. 

“It’s sad. I’ll just say it. It’s really sad,” Taylor said on the 96.5 The Fan’s Fescoe and Dusty podcast. “I don’t know why it is this unusual. “I know the guy cares about football. Josh Simmons definitely cares about football. And he also cares about his health. And I also know that there’s probably more factors than the average fan realizes.”

Simmons will have to wait at least four more games before getting another chance to show what he can do.