As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for a tough road trip to Denver to play the Broncos just one week after suffering another brutal loss away from Arrowhead at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, a bigger conversation about the team remains away from it. The Josh Simmons saga continues to haunt the Chiefs as a talking point, and the latest report from Ian Rapoport brings up questions of whether or not he'll ever play for the Chiefs again.
Rapoport appeared as a guest on ESPN's Big Day with Peter Schrager to discuss all the latest NFL news. When the discussion circled around to Simmons, Rapoport provided an update on the Chiefs left tackle and the internal meeting-room disagreement with head coach Andy Reid.
"There are a lot of questions about Josh Simmons, who is as talented a left tackle as you could possibly get," said Rapoport. "He is a stud as a player. I don't know if he plays for the Chiefs again. I don't know when he plays for the Chiefs again. There's nothing more important than protecting Patrick Mahomes. You have to believe in the person doing it, and until that happens, I don't know that he's out there."
Josh Simmons' injury and dispute with Andy Reid add to uncertainty
For those just catching up, Simmons was placed on injured reserve shortly before Week 7's matchup against the Seahawks, which means he's out through at least Week 10. A back injury has sidelined him for much longer, however, after surfacing for the first time during training camp in mid-August. The Chiefs were hoping that Simmons would eventually become available while seeking treatment in the season's first half, but ultimately decided to place him on IR.
Rapoport and fellow reporter Mike Garafolo broke the news that Simmons had an argument with Reid in a meeting at Arrowhead before going on injured reserve. Simmons had his feet up during a meeting and Reid directed him to change his posture, only for Simmons to say that he needed to sit that way because of back pain. Reid told his tackle to go see trainers if he was hurting, and Patrick Mahomes backed up his coach. Simmons later apologized for his response.
Why the leaked disagreement raises bigger questions for Chiefs
The report from Rapoport was less about the internal tension documented and more about the fact that it was leaked at all. The Chiefs run a buttoned-up operation, so the fact that the exchange was documented and made public, in any way, was jarring and brought new layers to the conversation. The idea of a divorce became a bit more concrete for some after that moment.
The official word is that Simmons is out for the next three games as he seeks treatment on a problematic disc in his back. From there, it's all conjecture and conspiracy theories, but Rapoport is asking the question louder than ever—whether or not the Chiefs' first-round pick from a year ago will ever suit up for the team again. That it's being asked in such a mainstream way is itself a telling sign. Chiefs Kingdom can only hope that more is being repaired behind the scenes than just a short-term back injury.
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