The Kansas City Chiefs are currently resting up on their bye week.
One of the main objectives of the bye is to get players healthy. The Chiefs probably wish their bye was a little later in the season, but it can help with immediate injuries such as wide receiver Rashee Rice’s hamstring. One injury in particular is still looming heavily over the team.
Kansas City Chiefs OT Josh Simmons Not Expected to Return to Practice Ahead in Week 6
Kansas City will return to the practice field next week, and one of the main questions it will face is if offensive tackle Josh Simmons will finally return. Simmons has been on the shelf with a bulging disc in his back since training camp, costing him the first four games of the season.
The timeline of the injury has been inconsistent. The Chiefs originally believed Simmons would be ready for Week 1, but obviously that wasn’t the case. While appearing on 96.5 The Fan on Tuesday, ESPN Chiefs insider Nate Taylor shared that he doesn’t expect Simmons to practice next week, and has no idea when he will.
“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.”
Chiefs HC Andy Reid Adamant That Josh Simmons Is Working Hard Towards Return
It was just last week that coach Andy Reid finally revealed that a bulging disc is the specific issue with Simmons’ back injury. He also added that the strength in one of Simmons’ legs is being impacted by the bulging disc. Taylor went on to say that Reid acknowledged Simmons’ injury is tricky, and fans shouldn’t expect Simmons to suit up in Week 6.
“Again, I’d be surprised if Josh Simmons practices next week,” Taylor continued. “I haven’t heard anything to suggest he will. I understand what Andy means when he says backs are tricky. If you got a bulging disc and it takes longer, then okay, it takes longer. I don’t want to tell fans how to feel, so if you’re upset that he’s not practicing in the hope that he will be available and in uniform for the Chargers in Week 6, I totally understand that. I just don’t think that’s the expectation as of right now.”
Chiefs Insider Throws Cold Water on Josh Simmons Return