Josh Simmons is out for the Kansas City Chiefs‘ game in Denver because a stalled back rehab sent the left tackle to injured reserve. But though the Chiefs insist the injury is the only thing keeping Simmons sidelined, the second-year left tackle has been at the center of controversy since his rookie season last year.
With zero snaps this season and a heated exchange in an offensive meeting this month, Simmons faces questions about more than his back. The 2025 first-round pick plays one of the most important positions on the field with primary responsibility for protecting future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.
Simmons, the No. 32 overall pick in 2025 out of Ohio State, has a bulging, herniated disc in his lower back, according to The Athletic.
Josh Simmons Injury Timeline With Chiefs
Simmons reported left calf discomfort and trouble balancing on one leg during training camp in St. Joseph on Aug. 17, according to The Kansas City Star.
Physicians suspected a back issue, and an MRI confirmed a bulging, herniated disc “higher up than we normally see in our offensive linemen,” according to ESPN. Surgery was not recommended, and second opinions backed rehab. Simmons returned to limited practice after the Week 5 bye once imaging improved, though discomfort lingered in his back and left leg.
Head trainer Rick Burkholder described the rehab as having “plateaued” as Simmons pursued “the final steps of recovery with return to competition. He’s just not there yet,” Burkholder said, as quoted by Arrowhead Pride.
After discussions among Simmons, his family and agent, Burkholder, coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, all sides agreed to place him on injured reserve.
Simmons must miss at least four games. He is eligible to return in Week 11, at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 22. Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson has started in his place.
Josh Simmons Meeting Incident and Kansas City Chiefs Future
Simmons was told to leave a team meeting on the Wednesday before the injured reserve move, according to ESPN. He had his feet up, and Reid asked him to lower them. Simmons answered that back and hip pain required sitting that way. Reid told him to see the trainers. The exchange dragged on and disrupted the meeting, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes backed Reid, telling Simmons to leave and get treatment.
Simmons left the room, though not the building, and later apologized to Reid and team leadership, saying he could have handled the moment better, according to The Star.
“That’s no reasoning that he was put on IR. He has a bad back…” Reid said, according to The Star. The Chiefs describe the move as purely medical.
Mahomes said hard conversations had taken place and the team was “moving in the right direction,” according to KCTV5. He also expressed confidence that Simmons can return.
Doubt about a return rests on limited availability, a rehab that plateaued with no surgery recommended, and the public nature of the meeting episode. Simmons has appeared in only eight career games.
“I don’t know if he plays for the Chiefs again. I don’t know when he plays for the Chiefs again,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said. He added, “There’s nothing more important than protecting Patrick Mahomes. You have to believe in the person doing it, and until that happens, I don’t know that he’s out there.”
No trade, release or permanent separation has been reported, and Kansas City has framed the injured reserve move as an agreed step in rehab.
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