Josh Simmons’ injury concerns are following him from college to the Kansas City Chiefs. The left tackle missed most of his final season at Ohio State in 2024 after suffering a season-ending patellar tendon injury, and now another setback has kept him off the field for the first three games of the 2026 season.
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided a clearer picture of Simmons’ latest issue on Wednesday. The second-year tackle is dealing with a bulging disc in his lower back, affecting his leg and will keep him out of practice in Week 4.
“Josh is the only one, and he is making progress,” Reid told reporters, as per SleeperChiefs’ X post. “He’s had a bulging disc in his lower back, and it’s kind of hindered the strength of his leg, but he’s working through it, he’s here every day, grinding away.”
The update also explained why Kansas City has kept Simmons on its active roster rather than placing him on injured reserve. Reid said the Chiefs simply do not have a firm enough timeline to know how long Simmons will be unavailable.
“We didn’t have to make any roster moves, so we didn’t have to put him on IR (injured reserve). So, it’s all worked out good that way,” Reid said. “The positive is, though, he is making progress and getting stronger, which is important with those backs. As we know, backs can be a little tricky.”
Simmons first appeared on the injury report with a back issue during training camp in August. He has not practiced since then and has missed the Chiefs’ first three games, leaving rookie Kahlil Benson to handle the left tackle spot.
Benson, an undrafted rookie, is expected to make another start on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. He has helped Kansas City get through the opening stretch of the season, although the Chiefs have seen some protection issues develop.
The Chiefs also received a question about whether Simmons could eventually need surgery. Reid suggested that is not the direction the team expects to take, although he stopped short of ruling anything out.
“I think we’re headed in the right direction here, where that shouldn’t happen, but we’ll see,” Reid said. “We’ll see where it all goes, but I think we’re going to be, knock on wood, we’re going to be in a good place here with time.”
Patrick Mahomes has also watched Simmons work through the recovery. The star quarterback spent much of the offseason rehabbing his own torn ACL and LCL, giving him a different perspective on what his teammate is going through.
“I have a different perspective, obviously my rehab was a lot longer,” Mahomes said, as reported by Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. “But at the same time, you put in the work every single day, and you want to get back on that field. I’ve been seeing him, he’s putting in the work, he’s doing whatever it takes to get back on the field as quickly as possible.”
Mahomes added that he is “excited for him” and believes Simmons is doing everything possible to return.
Kansas City will face the Raiders on Sunday before entering its Week 5 bye. If Simmons continues progressing without surgery, the extra week could give him additional recovery time, with Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers potentially becoming an important checkpoint.
For now, though, Benson remains the man protecting Mahomes’ blind side while the Chiefs wait for their first-round tackle to get healthy.