There’s a certain type of madness to trusting the most penalized tackle in college football with protecting the most valuable quarterback in the NFL. Yet here we are. One of the league’s richest franchises—worth a cool $6 billion—is betting on a guy whose name once showed up in ref reports more often than the football. They believe he’s the missing puzzle piece to finally stop the bleeding at left tackle. The gamble? Huge. The reward? Potentially dynasty-saving.

Enter Josh Simmons. The Kansas City Chiefs selected Simmons with the 32nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Once considered a top-10 talent, Simmons saw his stock tumble after a torn patellar tendon ended his season at Ohio State prematurely. Despite the injury—and his past flag-happy reputation—the Chiefs didn’t blink. They saw a 6-foot-6 powerhouse who mauled Big Ten pass rushers, cleaned up his penalty issues late in college, and offered something they’ve been desperately searching for: long-term stability at left tackle.

Josh Simmons’ journey didn’t exactly follow the playbook. He started at San Diego State, where he quickly gained a reputation—for better or worse. In 2022, he led all OTs in penalties with 17. His footwork? Undisciplined. His timing? Off. But the raw talent was undeniable. When he transferred to Ohio State in 2023, those issues trailed behind him. Seven penalties in eight games told the same story—until it didn’t. The final stretch of that season saw Simmons turn the corner, drawing just one flag in the last five contests. The growth was legit.

By the time 2024 rolled around, Simmons was on pace to post his cleanest campaign yet—just one penalty, a false start, before the injury bug bit again. Still, his improved tape and elite traits were enough to keep NFL scouts drooling. The Chiefs didn’t wait to see him fall further. They took the plunge, and Simmons has already been repping with the first-team unit during OTAs. NFL insider Jordan Schultz even shared (on X): “Spoke to a #Chiefs source today about rookie Josh Simmons. The team has been impressed with him all summer, and he’s on track to start at left tackle in Week 1, protecting Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside.“ That’s not nothing—especially considering the way last season played out.

Kansas City’s tackle situation was a revolving door in 2024. Four different starters tried to hold the edge, none of them successfully. Kingsley Suamataia got the first crack but got benched. Wanya Morris stepped in, then got hurt. D.J. Humphries was brought in to stabilize things, only to get sidelined himself. By the playoffs, Joe Thuney—a natural guard—was playing left tackle out of sheer desperation.

That desperation showed up under the brightest lights. In Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles’ defensive front had a field day. Mahomes was sacked six times, hit 11 times, and pressured like it was a fire drill—despite Philly gang never sending a blitz. The Chiefs’ O-line got worked, especially on the edges, where missed assignments and busted protection schemes tanked drives and cost them a three-peat. That meltdown made the front office hit the reset button on the tackle position.

The Chiefs’ interior O-line? Solid. Elite, even. Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney, and Trey Smith form one of the nastiest trios in football. They ranked No. 2 in run-block win rate and No. 5 in pass-block win rate. Thuney and Humphrey were basically impenetrable. But the tackle spots? They were a hot mess.

Can former Ohio State lineman handle the heat as Chiefs’ next blindside protector?

Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor couldn’t hold the edge. Combined, they gave up 13 sacks and 62 pressures. PFF had them graded near the bottom of the league. Thuney sliding to LT wasn’t sustainable either—it was a patch on a leaking ship. Props, though. That’s why the Chiefs went full send in the offseason, trading for Jaylon Moore and, more importantly, drafting Simmons. They needed more than just a Band-Aid. They needed a cure.

It’s not just this past season either. KC’s had a tackle problem ever since Eric Fisher went down. They tried everything: trading for Orlando Brown Jr. (decent), drafting Morris and Suamataia (inconsistent), throwing a Hail Mary with Donovan Smith. Nothing stuck. So when a kid like Simmons, with that kind of ceiling, falls into their lap at pick No. 32? You take it and rebuild your offensive wall brick by brick.

That’s what makes Simmons’ development so crucial. If he hits, he could be the guy that protects Mahomes for the next decade—on a rookie deal, no less. That’s massive. The Chiefs can stack talent elsewhere without blowing the bank on a premier tackle. If Simmons pans out, he becomes the single most valuable piece of the puzzle not named Patrick.

Of course, there are risks. Simmons still has to prove he can handle the league’s fastest, smartest edge rushers. He still has to stay healthy. He still has to avoid reverting to his old penalty-prone habits. But the signs are good. The Chiefs’ coaching staff has praised his work ethic and mental toughness. The left tackle spot is Simmons’ to lose. And based on early feedback from camp, he’s not letting it go. After years of patch jobs and mismatches, Kansas City might’ve finally found their blindside bodyguard. Not bad for the most penalized OT in college football.

Let’s just hope the refs don’t have to say his name too much in the coming Sundays.