The Kansas City Chiefs are once again facing an unexplained absence from their starting left tackle, Josh Simmons. Simmons, whose critical role involves safeguarding quarterback Patrick Mahomes—a cornerstone of the NFL's current dynasty and one of American sports' most valuable assets—has participated in only eight of 20 games since his selection two seasons ago. This season, rookie Khali Benson, an undrafted right tackle, has been filling the left tackle position. While the Chiefs have started 3-0, Benson's performance against the Dolphins on Sunday revealed noticeable vulnerabilities, with team highlight reels even showing defenders quickly bypassing him. The Chiefs' offensive line is undoubtedly missing Simmons' consistent presence, yet there is still no definitive information regarding his potential return this season, or even a timeline for it. This lack of transparency is highly unusual in a professional sports league known for its minute-by-minute injury updates on even lesser-known players.
Pre-Draft Concerns and Early Career
To understand the current situation, it's necessary to look back at Simmons' pre-draft process in 2025. In October 2024, while playing at Ohio State, Simmons sustained a season-ending patellar tendon injury. However, post-season reports indicated a swift recovery, with Simmons reportedly ahead of schedule. The Chiefs subsequently drafted him as the 32nd overall pick. Just a week after the draft, Simmons was active and participating in rookie minicamp, suggesting his physical recovery was progressing well.
According to national reporter Jeremy Fowler, who has close connections to the Chiefs organization, Simmons' injury was not the primary reason he fell to the last pick of the first round. Instead, the deeper concern revolved around his "character" and "maturity," rather than a clinical health issue. Fowler stated on April 24, 2025, that:
Several teams agree: Josh Simmons had best tape of any OT last year. And they aren't very concerned with recovery on the torn patella tendon. More of the concern is maturity/character. But he's going to the ideal, veteran-laden place.
The precise nature of these "character concerns" has never been publicly clarified, but their significance must have been considerable for nearly every team in the league to pass on a left tackle who possessed elite collegiate game film and had been cleared for contact before draft night.
During the initial month of his rookie season, it appeared the Chiefs had shrewdly capitalized on other teams' hesitations. Simmons seemed to be the long-awaited solution to Kansas City's persistent struggles at the left tackle position. However, this promising start proved short-lived.
A Pattern of Unexplained Absences
On October 6, 2025, just two hours before the Chiefs' "Monday Night Football" game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Simmons was unexpectedly listed as questionable due to an "illness." Despite the late designation, he played in the game and performed effectively. This incident might have been forgotten as a minor league oddity if not for events that unfolded days later.
The following Sunday, ahead of a game against the Detroit Lions, Simmons failed to appear for his pregame responsibilities, despite having completed a full week of practice. Reports indicated that both players and staff members within the organization were unaware of his whereabouts. Following the game, Head Coach Andy Reid offered a brief comment, suggesting he knew where Simmons was.
Subsequently, Reid and the Chiefs provided almost no further explanation, maintaining silence throughout Simmons' four-game absence, which the team vaguely attributed to a "personal/family issue." Over the past year, reporters have been unable to offer any substantial clarification regarding what transpired or why members of the team were reportedly unaware of Simmons' absence until shortly before game time.
Last month, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated published the first detailed report on the incident, stating that Simmons left the team without authorization the Saturday before the Lions game, and that there was a period when the "team didn't know where he was." Efforts to independently verify these specific details directly with the Chiefs' General Manager Brett Veach and Simmons' agent Drew Rosenhaus prior to Verderame's report received no response. The team has consistently declined to confirm, deny, or comment on the matter.
The Current Mystery Lingers
This brings the narrative to the present season. After participating in a full training camp, Simmons missed his first practice of the new season on August 18. Following this, Verderame reported that Simmons was "fine," stating, "On Chiefs LT Josh Simmons missing practice with a back injury, I'm told 'he's fine.' Don't sense any concern about the second-year star."
However, as of September 28, Simmons has not practiced since that August 18 date and has missed the first three games of the season. While the team confirms he has been present in the facility, his prolonged absence clearly contradicts the initial assessment of him being "fine." Given Verderame's strong connections within the team, it is plausible that the organization initially viewed Simmons' back injury as minor. However, something evidently changed.
On Monday, Coach Reid delivered a notably ambiguous update regarding Simmons' status. Addressing Chiefs Digest reporter Matt Derrick, Reid stated, "I'll tell you what, I will let you guys know when Josh [Simmons] is coming back. I'll be the first to tell you. So we'll just see how that all works out."
The stark contrast between this statement and Reid's typical injury updates is striking. When questioned about safety Chamarris Connor, who, like Simmons, is the only other starter to have missed the first three games, Reid's response was far more direct and optimistic: "Yeah, so he practiced last week, and he'll get going this week, too. So there's a good chance he'll be out there. We'll just see how the week goes, but it looks like it'll be a pretty decent chance."
Furthermore, the extensive reporting surrounding other Chiefs players' injuries highlights the anomaly of Simmons' situation. When rookie Mansoor Delane suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1, prominent national reporters such as Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero quickly provided updates, confirming the injury was minor and continuing to offer details throughout the week. National sports networks regularly dedicate pregame segments to injury news, covering the availability of even backup linebackers and rotational defensive backs. Yet, there has been virtually no national discussion or reporting concerning the status of the player responsible for protecting Patrick Mahomes. Over the past month, only one national report about Simmons has emerged, from Jeremy Fowler, who aptly described the injury as "mysterious."
Unanswered Questions and Growing Speculation
The recurring descriptor for Simmons' situation is "mysterious." At a minimum, it is evident that the NFL's leading reporters either lack knowledge of the full story behind Simmons' absence or have chosen not to pursue it publicly. Similarly, the Chiefs organization either does not have a clear timeline for Simmons' return or is deliberately withholding information that it routinely provides for other players. This level of ambiguity is highly unusual.
Naturally, Simmons' current absence has fueled speculation that it might be connected to his unexplained disappearance from the team last year. Hayden Winks, an NFL analyst, publicly raised this question, commenting:
So Josh Simmons is going to miss more time than what he would've on IR, which could mean he's missing longer than the Chiefs expected based on this back injury. There's also a history of him just not being around. There could be a lot more to this story than what's public.
Price Carter, a respected Chiefs film analyst, further detailed the extraordinary nature of the Simmons saga:
It would be difficult to describe the Josh Simmons injury timeline as normal. What started out as a routine back injury, described by several reporters as a 'minor issue' that he could 'play if it was game week' has now lingered on for the better part of two months. With no timeline for return, and no corresponding roster move the local media is only left with the information they are given by the team. Andy Reid is notorious for not saying much at the podium and the team only provides a very brief look at practice to the media. Reporters state that Simmons is with the team but that is all the news that there is.
Such speculation is understandable and arguably warranted. Simmons is not merely a private employee; he holds a high-profile position as the left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs. By offering so little clarity, the team itself has inadvertently invited the public to draw its own conclusions.
There could be a more complex explanation for Simmons' sustained absence. It is conceivable that the pre-draft "character concerns" are indeed linked to both his disappearance last year and his current unavailability. There is historical precedent for NFL teams to categorize a personal matter as an injury to protect a player, as was seen with the Buffalo Bills and Ed Oliver during a difficult personal tragedy.
However, the Chiefs' decision to remain silent while keeping Simmons on the active roster has only exacerbated the situation. They could have placed him on injured reserve, indicating a re-evaluation later in the season. Alternatively, they could have placed him on the non-football injury list, stating he was out indefinitely and requesting respect for his privacy. Instead, the organization has opted for deliberate ambiguity.
The longer this situation persists without a clear explanation, the more challenging it becomes to accept that it is simply a back injury. If it were solely a back issue, why the secrecy? Why the absence of comprehensive reporting? Why the notably cautious language from the coaching staff?
For reasons yet undisclosed, the Kansas City Chiefs appear unwilling to provide specific details regarding Josh Simmons' status. This lack of information has already led to speculation that Simmons may not want to play football or lacks passion for the sport—a possibility that, at this point, cannot be entirely dismissed.
Ultimately, the Kansas City organization has a responsibility to both Simmons and its fanbase: to offer either a transparent explanation or to make a roster decision that acknowledges there is no immediate or clear path for his return. The team seems to have concluded that widespread public speculation about its star left tackle is preferable to revealing the truth.
