Chiefs Rookie Goes Against Patrick Mahomes’ Wishes as Andy Reid Gives Strong Preseason Verdict

Andy Reid has a rule of thumb when it comes to Patrick Mahomes. If No. 15 gives the green light, the Chiefs usually follow. That’s how Josh Simmons ended up in Kansas City. Mahomes doesn’t just show up on Sundays; he treats the spring draft board like his personal side project. So when Kansas City traded back and scooped Simmons with the 32nd pick in April, Reid wasn’t surprised to learn Mahomes had already done his homework on the kid’s film.

By late July, Simmons was turning heads. Word out of camp was that he’d manhandled rookie Ashton Gillotte in one-on-one drills, even tossing him to the turf. Midway through a rep, with Mahomes rolling out like any normal drill, Gillotte tugged at his jersey and gave him a shove. Simmons’ patience snapped and he swung a right-handed punch straight at Gillotte’s helmet. Oof! Training camp is definitely not supposed to be a bar fight. Video of the scuffle — widely circulated via KCTV5/X reporter Mark Poulose and picked up by national outlets — showed both rookies exchanging blows before teammates, including veteran leadership, stepped in to separate them.

Looking back on it, Patrick Mahomes had a quirky little checklist for camp. One of his goals? To actually get hit at least once by Josh Simmons. “I don’t necessarily look forward to getting hit,” he laughed. “I always like getting hit once, but it’s still a shock. I’m just excited to see where we’re at.” Josh Simmons clearly didn’t get it— or maybe he just wasn’t interested. In Mahomes’ lone drive against the Cardinals on Saturday, the quarterback stayed spotless. No hits, no pressure, just one pass… a tidy 1-yard touchdown to Jason Brownlee.

Meanwhile, Simmons logged 11 snaps that night. Enough to stir up the fanbase about his potential. Lined up next to fellow rookie Kingsley Suamataia, the left side looked like a wall built for the next decade. On more than one occasion, Simmons erased Arizona’s pass rush, including veteran linebacker Baron Browning, who found himself locked out of Mahomes’ pocket entirely.

Just a week earlier, Jason Kelce had compared Simmons to Trent Williams, with George Karlaftis nodding right along. That’s lofty territory. And while Tuesday’s training camp dust-up was a reminder that hype gets you headlines but discipline keeps you in the lineup, Simmons’ Saturday showing backed it all up. The Chiefs saw past his injury and old penalty woes, betting instead on the 6-foot-6 mauler who dominated Big Ten rushers. And on Saturday, that bet looked awfully smart.

Can the Chiefs’ leadership channel the competitiveness that shows up at camp into consistent discipline during the season? Social chatter on X and the Chiefs subreddit ran the gamut from “toughness = upside” to “needs to learn restraint,” with clips of the fight generating thousands of views and spirited debate among fans.

Patrick Mahomes’ long-term protector earns high praise from coach Andy Reid

Josh Simmons’ first NFL action on Saturday came with a nod of approval from head coach Andy Reid, who doesn’t hand out praise lightly. “I wasn’t screaming at him, so I figured he did okay. He looked like he had a solid day, especially for his first game; he’s been working his tail off. That kid never complains about anything; he just goes,” Reid said after the game. “He and (OL) Kingsley (Suamataia) are trying to develop something over there, and they haven’t missed any snaps. We’ll see how it all works out and sorts out, but I thought for the first time out they did a nice job.”

The stakes with Simmons go far beyond just filling a roster spot. If he can solidify himself as the Chiefs’ starting left tackle, Kansas City could have Mahomes’ blindside locked down for the next decade. All while paying Simmons rookie-contract money. That’s a game-changer for roster building, freeing up resources to stack elite talent elsewhere without investing in one of the NFL’s priciest positions.

Still, nothing’s guaranteed. Simmons will face edge rushers faster and craftier than anything he saw in college. Durability remains a question. What if he can’t afford a return to the penalty-heavy tendencies that hurt his draft stock? But so far, the feedback from coaches has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting his work ethic and mental toughness. The left tackle spot is his to lose—and with Kansas City’s recent history of patchwork solutions on the edge, Simmons’ early promise feels like the long-term answer they’ve been waiting for.