Chiefs Give New Reason for Josh Simmons Practice Absence Before Seahawks Game

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The Kansas City Chiefs have provided new information about offensive tackle Josh Simmons' absence from Wednesday's practice ahead of their Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons missed Wednesday’s practice, and the team’s injury report added a new reason for his absence, in addition to his ongoing back problem, according to Chiefs Digest‘s Matt Derrick.

The new designation, indicating that Simmons sat out Wednesday’s practice for “personal” reasons, arrives one year after Simmons abruptly left the team before a Sunday night game, and he has missed every game since mid-August with no defined return timeline.

Simmons sat out alongside wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring/knee) and right tackle Jaylon Moore (concussion). Tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (knee) were limited, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) and guard Trey Smith (hip) took part fully.

The Chiefs did not explain the personal matter or what it might involve. Simmons appeared briefly in the locker room during the media window, and coach Andy Reid did not mention Simmons as an expected practice non-participant during his morning press conference. A club spokesperson later called the omission inadvertent.

“Josh is still probably going to be ramping up as we go,” Reid said Monday, as quoted by Chiefs Digest. Simmons practiced on a limited basis all three days last week, working on fundamentals and technique rather than in team routines, before the Chiefs ruled him out against the Chargers.

Josh Simmons Absence Draws Skepticism

OutKick writer Bobby Burack challenged the team’s account Wednesday afternoon. He laid out the sequence as he perceived it in a recap posted to social media. Simmons was supposed to practice, was present in the locker room, and then the club described the absence as planned and personal.

“The Chiefs are lying to reporters and changing the story as it goes,” Burack posted on X.

Burack also revisited last year’s episode, when Simmons “left the team in the middle of the night” before the Detroit Lions game, Burack wrote in an earlier post.

Hours before that game, the team ruled Simmons out for a family situation, according to The Associated Press. He flew home to California and missed four games over about three weeks.

Simmons returned in early November, according to The Athletic, and declined to discuss details, saying he wanted the matter kept private. The Chiefs have not publicly connected the 2025 absence to Simmons’ current one.

Josh Simmons’ Back Injury and Kansas City Chiefs Future

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Reid revealed in late September that Simmons has a bulging disc that hindered his leg strength, according to an ESPN report. Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson has started at left tackle in his absence.

A fractured and dislocated wrist ended Simmons’ rookie season after a Thanksgiving collision, and he played eight games in 2025. A torn patellar tendon at Ohio State ended his 2024 season, according to The Star.

Simmons holds a standard first-round rookie contract that guarantees roughly $14.7 million through 2028, according to Over the Cap data. Kansas City drafted him 32nd overall in 2025, and the team has given no public indication of a potential trade or release.

Reid’s Monday comments point toward a gradual ramp-up, and further practice reports this week will show whether the personal matter shortens or extends his absence.

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