In less than three weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs will open their regular season against the Denver Broncos. While the offseason initially centered on whether Patrick Mahomes would be ready for Week 1, the focus has now shifted to who will protect his blind side. It’s been more than a week since the Chiefs’ second-year left tackle, Josh Simmons, suffered a back injury.

However, head coach Andy Reid still has no clear timeline for Simmons’ return, with the preseason campaign now in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, Kahlil Benson has already started taking first-team reps in Simmons’ absence, leaving the Chiefs with a familiar question just weeks before kickoff.

Outkick reporter Bobby Burack shared in an X post that a source told him about growing concerns on the team about Simmons’ injury.

“Some more info on Chiefs LT Josh Simmons from a source I developed last year covering his absence: “Chiefs initially had minimal concern. At least one of the parties is more concerned now. He will undergo more tests to see if it’s more serious.” Bizarre twist,” Burack posted on X.

Before suffering a back injury, Simmons worked at third-team left tackle, considering the Chiefs’ injury issues along the offensive line. A day later, however, the second-year tackle didn’t practice following a back issue.

The major concern is that initially, Kansas City reported that Simmons’ injury isn’t expected to be a long-term issue. But Simmons missed more than a week of practice and also missed out on the Chiefs’ second preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This looked like the kind of thing that clears up in a few days and gets forgotten by Week 1. That hasn’t quite happened yet. Ahead of the Chiefs’ preseason final against the Seahawks, Coach Andy Reid addressed where things stand, and he still wasn’t ready to put a date on Simmons’ return.

“He’s just getting his back checked out,” said Reid. “That’s the main thing. He’s doing good when he’s in there. He’s just got a back. Like any other injury, we’ve got to make sure that it’s… see if it’s right or what’s wrong with it.”

It’s a cautious answer; not exactly a red flag, but not the reassurance fans were hoping for either.

For context on why this matters so much, you have to go back to last year’s draft. Kansas City took Simmons in the first round knowing full well he’d torn his patellar tendon during his final season at Ohio State.

The bet was on upside, and it partly paid off. When healthy, he flashed the tools that made him a first-round talent. But “when healthy” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Between a family matter and a fractured wrist, Simmons only ended up starting eight games as a rookie.

In those eight appearances, Simmons certainly impressed the coaching staff, as he yielded just 10 hurries, four hits, and one sack on 443 pass-blocking snaps in the 2025 season.

Now heading into year two, however, the expectations around him have only grown. This was supposed to be the season Simmons locked down the blind side and became the long-term answer at left tackle. Instead, the Chiefs are once again playing the waiting game.

Following the Chiefs’ preseason finale against Seattle, which ended in a 9-9 tie, Reid offered some optimism around Josh Simmons, yes. But at the same time, the head coach also admitted that Simmons will need some time to recover.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time, here,” said Reid, “but he’s a hard worker when it comes to these types of things. It’s just a matter of eliminating some of the pain he has. And strength — making sure he has enough strength, there.”

Simmons’ injury just weeks before the regular season opener carries a significant concern for the Chiefs. For a broader context, Patrick Mahomes is returning after a season-ending knee injury after he tore his ACL and LCL during the 2025 season. The quarterback’s greatest strength is his ability to extend plays, move around the pocket, and create outside of structure.

However, poor tackle play can work against that, considering his left tackle’s potential return is still uncertain. In case Simmons fails to make a quick recovery, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Reid could lean more heavily on backups. Amid Simmons’ injury, Benson has taken the first-team reps at left tackle and could get the call to start at Mahomes’ blind side.

At the same time, it’s also worth noting that against the Buccaneers in the second preseason matchup, Kansas City’s tackles struggled against edge rushers, with Kahlil Benson particularly vulnerable to power moves. For now, though, he’s the top backup on the depth chart, ahead of Esa Pole and Ethan Driskell, and Reid made it clear this start is as much about evaluation as anything else.

“He’ll be over there at left tackle this week, and we’ll see how he does with it,” Reid said of Benson on Wednesday.

Simmons wasn’t the only name that came up either. Reid also mentioned that running back Kenneth Walker is dealing with a swollen ankle, adding another concern to monitor on the Chiefs’ training camp radar right now.

Amid this growing web of Chiefs losing players to injuries, the biggest question mark remains Patrick Mahomes’ fitness.

Chiefs Uncertain on Patrick Mahomes as Josh Simmons Injury Lingers

Josh Simmons won’t suit up for Sunday’s preseason finale against Seattle, and the clock on Kansas City’s real season is ticking louder by the day. Just 18 days stand between the Chiefs and their Week 1 matchup with Denver, and there’s still no official word on whether Patrick Mahomes himself will be out there.

Judging by how he’s talking, though, Mahomes sounds like a guy who’s planning on it. He spoke about how he prefers to take the hits in preseason, which prepares him for Week 1.

“When you get that first hit, it almost kind of locks you into, all right, we’re playing football again, everything like that,” Mahomes said on August 25. “But I feel like the last few preseason games, we’ve been so good blocking and throughout these drives that I haven’t taken that hit. And so, it’ll be kind of that same type of experience.

“But at the end of the day, when we’re going into that Week 1, if I’m able to kind of get through this process and be able to play, we’ll be going up against one of the best defenses in the league. And so, I’ll have to be ready to go no matter what it is.”

But while he rests, rookie QB Garrett Nussmeier is proving his worth in the preseason and will start against the Seahawks, and potentially play the full game, as Reid disclosed on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the front office isn’t sitting still on the line front. Kansas City swung a trade for Joshua Ezeudu, bringing in some extra depth from the New York Giants.

Simmons has definitely looked the part when healthy. But staying that way for 17 games is still the open question.