A tense exchange between Josh Simmons and head coach Andy Reid preceded the Kansas City Chiefs placing the second-year offensive tackle on injured reserve, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
On Wednesday, Simmons “was sitting with his feet up in the offensive meeting room when Reid asked him to put his feet down.”
Simmons pushed back, telling Reid he had to sit that way because his back and hips were hurting, sources said, according to Garafolo and Rapoport. “Reid then asked Simmons to seek treatment from the athletic trainers if he was indeed in pain.”
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also told Simmons he should leave the meeting.
The 2025 first-round pick left the room and later apologized to Reid and his teammates.
Kansas City placed Simmons on injured reserve Thursday. After Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Seahawks, Reid made it clear that this decision was made solely due to injury:
Simmons’ rookie season was cut short due to a broken wrist. A bulging disc in his back has kept him from dressing in 2026, and his IR designation means he’ll be sidelined at least until Week 11.
Chiefs coach Rick Burkholder told reporters this week that the 23-year-old has “worked hard” to try to get healthy.
“He worked diligently with my team every day and improved to the point where he was able to return to practice in a limited capacity last week,” Burkholder said. “However, we feel like he has stagnated in the rehabilitation process as he tries to reach the final stages of his recovery with a return to competition. He’s just not there yet.”
The Chiefs bet big on Simmons. Offensive tackle was one of their biggest positional needs heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, and they seemingly addressed that with the former Ohio State star.
Instead, Kansas City finds itself using Kahlil Benson, an undrafted rookie, as its starting left tackle. This will remain the case for another four weeks and perhaps beyond.
Gn sports
