Offensive tackle Josh Simmons has been a dark cloud over the Kansas City Chiefs organization this season.
Simmons has missed every game this season with a back injury, which has kept him sidelined since training camp back in August. The Chiefs began to ramp him up two weeks ago in an attempt to have him return, but then placed him on injured reserve after it was determined Simmons needs more time to rehab.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Addresses Josh Simmons Confrontation
While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked if he was bothered by a report leaking of him, along with coach Andy Reid, asking Simmons to leave a team meeting.
“Stuff like that doesn’t really bother me because I’m so in the moment, in the team,” Mahomes said. “When you’re in this building you don’t even really hear stuff like that. We’ve had the right conversations, now we’re moving in the right direction. You have to have hard conversations at some point. I think we’ve had those. We’ve had great conversations after, and I think we’re moving in the right direction that will be great for the team.”
Simmons reportedly had his feet up during the meeting, citing it was best for the pain he is experiencing. Reid and Mahomes told him to leave to get treatment, and unpleasantries were exchanged during the confrontation.
Mahomes Isn’t Worried About Simmons Being a Distraction
When asked if a situation like the one with Simmons could cause a distraction with the team, Mahomes stated that he isn’t worried about that since he feels like everything got handled the right way.
“I feel like we’ve built this culture of coming together as a family and doing whatever we can to make sure that, not only the player, but the person is going in the right direction,” Mahomes said. “You can have those hard conversations, and then you can have the good conversations that come after that. It’s not always great in life, in general. You have to be able to have tough conversations so you can have better conversations going forward. I think that’s something we’ve built here.”
While on injured reserve, Simmons will remain out of action at least until Week 11. If he still isn’t able to return by that time, the season will likely be a wash for the 2025 first-round draft pick. Undrafted free agent Kahlil Benson has done an admirable job filling taking Simmons’ place.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Josh Simmons Confrontation