The Kansas City Chiefs have placed left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve, a move that requires him to miss at least four games. The team announced the designation after Simmons reported a leg issue on August 17, which Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rich Burkholder said was related to a bulging disc in his back.
Simmons has not played a down this season. According to Burkholder, a specialist recommended therapy rather than surgery for the injury. Simmons practiced in a limited capacity last week for the first time since reporting the issue to the team. On Wednesday, the Chiefs listed him as a non-participant in practice for "back/non-injury personal reasons." Burkholder stated that Simmons used that day to speak with his family before deciding to go on injured reserve.
Skepticism has grown regarding the timeline of Simmons' absence. In August, reporters close to the team reported that the injury was minor and that Simmons would return by Week 1. When he did not play, the team explained they had not placed him on injured reserve because they expected him to play within the first four weeks. He still did not. Burkholder now says Simmons "plateaued" in his recovery, a detail head coach Andy Reid appeared unaware of. On Monday, Reid said Simmons would continue to "ramp up" this week, and on Wednesday morning, Reid did not include Simmons among players who would not practice. The team’s explanation is that Reid simply forgot to mention the starting left tackle's status.
The situation adds to a pattern of uncertainty surrounding Simmons. ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler described the prolonged absence as "mysterious" last month. Other top national NFL reporters, including Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, have avoided addressing the situation, despite providing updates on other roster moves. During his rookie year, Simmons sat out a full month citing a personal reason. At that time, ESPN noted that staff members inside the organization did not know why he failed to report for a Week 6 contest against the Detroit Lions.
In August, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame reported that Simmons left the team the night before that game and that there was a period during which the team did not know his whereabouts. OutKick emailed Chiefs general manager Brett Veach for comment, but he did not respond.
Questions about Simmons also preceded the 2025 NFL Draft. Reports indicated he had fully recovered from a patellar tendon injury, but some teams removed him from their draft boards due to "character" concerns. Consequently, Simmons fell to the final pick of the first round, where the Chiefs selected him 32nd overall. Over his first two NFL seasons, Simmons has played in just eight games.
The combination of his disappearance last season, pre-draft reporting, and conflicting expectations about his current injury has raised questions about his reliability. The Chiefs waited more than two months after he initially reported the injury to place him on injured reserve. At this point, it remains unclear when or if Simmons will return this season after becoming eligible.