The Kansas City Chiefs are set to lose Josh Simmons for another stretch of games, and at this point, it's entirely possible that his rookie season is over. On Wednesday, the Chiefs placed Simmons on injured reserve with a dislocated and fractured wrist, which means the offensive tackle will be out for at least the next four games.
Head coach Andy Reid addressed Simmons' condition from the podium in front of reporters. "Josh Simmons ended up having surgery on that wrist for a fracture and dislocation. He’ll go onto IR and then we’ll just see about the recovery on that and where it goes from there."
When asked about whether or not Simmons might be available for the postseason, should the Chiefs make it in, Reid said, "They've gotta wait just a little bit on that and see how that goes with his recovery but there's always that chance."
Simmons will be forced to miss the Chiefs' upcoming home game against the Houston Texans in Week 14 and subsequent games against the L.A. Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos. That leaves him potentially available to return for the final game of the year, a road trip to Las Vegas to face the Raiders in Week 18.
With only five games to play in the entire season, the Chiefs' ability to get back into the playoff picture might determine whether or not Simmons' year is indeed over. The Chiefs sit at 6-6 overall and at No. 10 in the AFC playoff seeding, were the season to end today. If Kansas City can go on a win streak, Simmons might be a late-season boost with the postseason looming. If the Chiefs can't turn the corner, it feels odd that they might activate him for a single meaningless game against the Raiders.
The Chiefs placed Josh Simmons on injured reserve on Wednesday, the latest update in an up-and-down season for the rookie tackle.
Simmons injured his wrist during the team's loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, bringing a potential end to a roller coaster of a rookie campaign. The Chiefs' first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft also missed four games to attend to a personal matter leading up to the bye. Despite the absences, Simmons also showcased the sort of talent not seen at the position since Patrick Mahomes took over as quarterback.
Reid spoke
Losses along the offensive line are mounting for the Chiefs, who also lost right tackle Jawaan Taylor during the same game with an elbow injury. Right guard Trey Smith was already sidelined coming into Week 13 with an ankle injury, which meant that K.C. was playing with three backup offensive linemen in the fourth quarter of a close game in Dallas.
While the long-term outlook for Simmons is positive, in that the Chiefs know they have a franchise left tackle for which they've been searching for years, the rookie season has been tumultuous for both player and franchise. It's quite possible it's over for Simmons with five games remaining on the regular-season slate.