Two years after suffering a serious knee injury at Ohio State, Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons is sidelined again. The former first-round pick has yet to play this season as the Chiefs enter Week 6 with a 4-0 record.
On October 12, 2024, Simmons tore his patellar tendon during Ohio State’s game against Oregon. The injury ended his college season, took him out of the running for the Outland Trophy and kept him off the field during the Buckeyes’ national championship run.
It also raised questions about his NFL future, with Simmons previously considered a potential top-10 draft selection.
However, Simmons approached his rehabilitation determined to return to football.
“You have to go in and be angry at every rep,” Simmons told reporters at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, according to The Kansas City Star.
He described the injury as “just a little speed bump” and explained the mentality he carried throughout his recovery.
“Once you get all that in your mindset, that you’re going to come back a lot stronger (and) wake up a demon inside you,” Simmons said, nobody “can stop you.”
The Chiefs ultimately selected Simmons with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, believing he was ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.
Josh Simmons’ Injury History Creates Another Challenge for Chiefs’ Offensive Line
Andy Reid said today there is no timeline for his return, and the medical staff will “go back and reevaluate it.”
Simmons recovered in time to start Kansas City’s first five games of the 2025 regular season, providing an immediate boost to an offensive line that had struggled at left tackle the previous year.
However, his promising rookie campaign took an unexpected turn.
Simmons missed the Chiefs’ October 12 matchup against the Detroit Lions because of what the organization described as a personal matter. He mysteriously remained away from the team for three more games.
He appeared in only three more contests before a wrist injury landed him on injured reserve and ended his season.
Simmons finished his rookie campaign with eight appearances, leaving Kansas City without its expected long-term solution at left tackle for much of the year.
Before his absence against Detroit, Simmons discussed his recovery from the Ohio State injury and how the experience changed his perspective.
“That day definitely, like, changed who I kind of was. But I try not to look at it as a haunting thing, if that makes sense,” Simmons told The Kansas City Star.
“I try to wear that scar like a badge of honor in a way.”
His latest injury has created another obstacle.
Simmons has been sidelined for nearly two months with a lower-back issue that has kept him from playing in any of Kansas City’s first four games of the 2026 season.
The absence has forced the Chiefs to turn to undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson, who earned a roster spot after initially joining the organization as a minicamp tryout player.
Benson has emerged as a reliable replacement, starting the team’s first three games and earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month honors for September.
According to Pro Football Focus, Benson played 201 offensive snaps during that stretch, allowing nine pressures and five quarterback hits without surrendering a sack.
His performance has helped Kansas City maintain stability on Patrick Mahomes’ blind side while the team awaits Simmons’ return.
Andy Reid Reveals Details About Josh Simmons’ Back Injury and Recovery
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided more information about Simmons’ condition on September 30, saying the offensive tackle has been dealing with a bulging disk.
“He’s had a bulging disk in his lower back, and it’s kind of hindered the strength of his leg,” Reid told reporters.
“He’s working through it. He’s here every day, grinding it away, and we didn’t have to make any roster moves, so we didn’t have to put him on (injured reserve) or anything.”
Reid also indicated that Simmons was making progress despite the lengthy absence.
“It’s all worked out good that way. The positive is he is making progress and getting stronger, which is important with those backs, as we all know. Backs can be a little tricky.”
The Chiefs have avoided placing Simmons on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games.
Reid also revealed that the offensive tackle would not need surgery, providing a positive development in his recovery.
However, a subsequent report suggests Simmons might not be as close to returning as the organization had hoped.
ESPN Insider Nate Taylor Shares Concerning Update on Josh Simmons’ Chiefs Return
ESPN’s Nate Taylor addressed Simmons’ status during an October 6 appearance on 96.5 The Fan, expressing uncertainty about when the second-year tackle might return to practice.
“I have no vibes,” Taylor said.
“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.”
Taylor’s comments raise additional questions about Simmons’ availability as Kansas City prepares to return from its bye week.
While Reid has emphasized that Simmons continues to make progress, the organization has not announced a timetable for his return to practice or game action.
The Chiefs enter their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers with a 4-0 record, while Los Angeles sits at 0-4.
Chiefs’ Josh Simmons Faces Another Test 2 Years After Injury That Nearly Derailed NFL Dreams