For all of the joy around Chiefs Kingdom these days, which comes with any undefeated start but especially one after a six-win campaign, a cloud remains in place over the team's injury list. Specifically, we're referring to the ever-confusing status of Josh Simmons.
A cloud feels like an appropriate description here, because everything around Simmons' availability has felt nebulous from the start. That in itself is not a problem in the NFL, since it's typical for players to have uncertain timelines as they recover from lingering injuries. Phrases like "day-to-day" or "week-to-week" are built into the sport's vernacular.
From the moment that Simmons missed a training camp practice on August 18, the timeline for his return has been fuzzy. At first, sources referenced Simmons' back injury in a reassuring manner. In late August, for example, ESPN's Nate Taylor wrote, "The Chiefs have said from the start that his injury is not significant ... I've been told that everything is going to be fine."
With more than two weeks to go before the regular season, however, things became a bit more serious as head coach Andy Reid explained that further tests were needed and that "a spot in there" had "flared up." Again, that's not unusual when there are back issues for an offensive lineman. Progression isn't always linear in such matters.
The details around Josh Simmons have only gotten murkier
The problem for some fans, as it relates to Simmons, is that the details have never come from the team. Reid has offered a rough window, saying the Chiefs expected Simmons could miss "a couple, two, three, four games" as long as he was making progress. But test results have never been revealed or discussed in any detail. The closest thing to specifics came from Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who cited an anonymous source who said Simmons had sought a second opinion from a back specialist.
Maybe that's true. Maybe it isn't. Either way, it says something when a whispered tip to Florio is the most information anyone has. Nearly six weeks after being injured in the first place, Chiefs coaches are still shrugging when asked about a timeline, and Simmons himself hasn't spoken to the media since a post-practice media session on August 5 during training camp.
Even last week offered mixed signals. On Wednesday, Reid said Simmons wouldn't practice but that "tomorrow, he's gonna do some stuff" as the team eased him back in. As it turned out, Simmons never practiced at all, and by Friday, he'd been ruled out for a third consecutive game.
Andy Reid's latest answer only adds to the mystery
The mystery only continued to build on Monday. After besting the Miami Dolphins in their first road trip of the season Reid took questions from reporters to start a new week and was asked about Simmons' status heading into an AFC West showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders, who are tied with the Chiefs at 3-0 atop the division. When asked about whether or not Simmons would return to practice, Reid's response was... well, we'll let his words speak for themselves.
"I'll tell you what. I will let you guys know when Josh is comin' back. I'll be the first to tell ya, so we'll just see how all of that works."
The wording itself is odd, but the demeanor was even worse. Reid just smiled and laughed halfway through the statement, as if what Matt Derrick asked was humorous. Was Reid really caught off guard by the question? Is it not expected that the media might want some clarity on last season's first-round pick going into such a big game? It felt a bit dismissive. Feel free to watch and judge for yourself.
The lack of clarity is becoming the story
Until now, for me at least, it's felt important to take the Chiefs at their word. It's rarely, if ever, helpful to run with allegations or to assume things about a situation that no one can know. Last year, Simmons missed four games for what the team would only call a "family matter," and nothing more has been made public than those words, which in itself is remarkable in the digital era. Personal things are personal and it's up to the player and/or team to disclose what is appropriate.
But this is now the second season in which things feel blurry when it comes to Simmons. This doesn't happen when anyone else's name is brought up. Nearly every other injury comes with regular updates, and when things are uncertain, they're explained in a straightforward manner. Chamarri Conner also had a knee injury that lingered far longer than anyone anticipated at first, and yet Reid has kept a steady stream of updates coming on him, right down to Monday's optimism about a season debut against the Raiders.
Which is why making light of a serious question was an odd turn from Reid. At least some of the cloud would dissipate if the Chiefs' head coach took on an understanding posture toward such inquiries. Even if answers aren't known, it's not that hard to offer up something akin to, "He had tests on [specific day] and then he's getting another opinion because [specific problem] isn't responding to treatment." Instead there's no specificity from the team: of tests, of doctors, of courses of treatment, of timelines.
Everyone in Chiefs Kingdom can name Patrick Mahomes' trainer and surgeon. No one can tell you anything about Simmons. The conjecture isn't helpful, but at this point, who can blame Chiefs fans for at least trying to take a guess to fill in the blanks?
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