Will he or won't he? Kansas City Chiefs fans knew they'd be asking that question before Week 1 of a new season, but as it turns out, the player at the heart of it all has changed.
Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons is currently nursing a back injury that first kept him out of training camp practice in mid-August. The first public-facing response from the Chiefs came via a very nonchalant press conference from head coach Andy Reid, stating that it was nothing serious. Simmons has gone on to miss every preseason game and practice ever since.
With the Denver Broncos set to visit Arrowhead in exactly one week, the Chiefs still aren't sure exactly when Simmons will be available. They also don't even seem all that concerned. The same casual responses have been given on multiple occasions, no matter how much time Simmons has missed. Such projections, however, have become more and more disconcerting for those wanting real answers, as if the team is stalling because they don't know themselves.
Those outside the organization are left wondering, and even those who cover the team closely are left hedging their bets. Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star recently spoke about expectations for Simmons' readiness and said, "Am I confident that he plays week 1? No. At this stage, I don’t think he will. But it isn’t ruled out."
That Simmons is still sitting with one week to go might not be all that alarming on its own. Timetables are often fuzzy with back injuries, and fans would readily accept any sort of explanation that actually owned the uncertainty with some authenticity. But that's not what's happening here. Instead, Simmons' status feels like it's protected in some weird, clouded secrecy, as if there are other dimensions or angles to the entire topic that the Chiefs want to sidestep if at all possible.
The casual demeanor of Chiefs' updates doesn't match the unnerving uncertainty around Josh Simmons' status.
Much of that secrecy feels linked to the "personal reasons" for Simmons' four-game absence a year ago. The tackle only played 8 games during his rookie season, with two four-game stretches during which he was unavailable. Four of those were for a wrist injury to close the season; four of those came in the fall, and in a league with endless news leaks to fuel the 24/7 fandom of America's most popular sport, somehow no one still knew what happened. That's actually how it should be—personal means personal—but that does compound the secrecy bit with his back injury.
Complicating matters further is the lack of action at the position. Wanya Morris was traded away in June. Esa Pole was released at the roster cut deadline. The Chiefs didn't sign anyone of note, nor did they draft a single player at the position. Even Chu Godrick is now with the Miami Dolphins. That means the Chiefs are maintaining that calm, collected posture knowing that it might be some configuration of Jaylon Moore and Kahlil Benson outside protecting Patrick Mahomes in his first game back from torn knee ligaments.
In addition, the Chiefs play the final game of the NFL's Week 1 slate, which means that they'll get into official injury reports a bit later than other teams. That distance will only further the mystery for fans who want to know whether Simmons will play or not—or even what sort of injury designation he might receive. Basically, nervous fans are likely going to stay nervous for the next few days.
Speaking of Mahomes, the Chiefs star quarterback was the player everyone expected to worry about as Week 1 came into view. Instead, somehow the franchise face is the sure thing and the one charged with protecting his blindside is the center of worrisom attention. And this cloud is going to be here for a little while longer.
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