Chiefs first-rookie OT Josh Simmons provides injury update, reveals his plan to be ready for training camp

If it weren’t for a serious knee injury suffered during his final collegiate season, Josh Simmons may have been the first offensive lineman off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. Alas, things didn’t work out that way. Simmons suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee during Ohio State’s mid-October loss to Oregon, and he ended up falling to the end of the first round.

But there, he was snatched up by the Kansas City Chiefs, who have a desperate need for high-end left tackle play. So long as he’s healthy, Simmons is the perfect fit for what the Chiefs needed in this draft. The key part of that sentence, though, is the “so long as he’s healthy.” But Simmons has a plan to get himself there. 

“Attack rehab as hard as I can — that way, when training camp does come around, I can be the most help that I can possibly be,” Simmons said, via Arrowhead Pride. “There’s nothing I can really do to force myself [into the lineup]. There’s a lot of vets in here. My thing is just stay out the way and work hard. Be a helpful piece if I can.”

The Chiefs this offseason signed Jaylon Moore to play left tackle, which should give them insurance in case Simmons isn’t ready to roll right away. They obviously didn’t know at the time they signed Moore than they’d have Simmons fall into their laps later on, but that’s the way it worked out. And because it did work out that way, Simmons can focus solely on getting fully healthy, rather than having to hurry himself into the lineup — even if that’s the ultimate goal.

Even outside of the rehab part, Simmons is happy to be with the Chiefs, and happy to be joining one of the NFL’s best offenses.

“It’s great,” Simmons said. “Everything you could ask for [as a] football player. The playbook is not as complex as I thought it’d be, but it’s different playbook than Chip Kelly, so [I’ve] got to do a bit of studying.”

Andy Reid, of course, is known as one of the best offensive minds in the league — not just right now, but ever. He’s been slightly hamstrung the last couple of years with the quality of play protecting Patrick Mahomes‘ blind side, but if Simmons reaches his full potential, that could allow Reid to get back into his big a bit more often over the next few seasons.