If you listened to our YouTube podcast, Chiefs Blitz, we said on Friday’s show that we expected Josh Simmons to return to the practice field after the bye week. Today, that was confirmed. However, his return timeline depends on easing back into physical activity and how he responds to practice reps.
Reporting on Kansas City Chiefs Left Tackle Josh Simmons’s back injury has divided the Chiefs Kingdom. As we’ve stated at ChiefsBlitzKC.com for weeks, Simmons needed time to strengthen his back, which he has done nearly daily since his bulging disc flared up in St. Joseph. The Chiefs didn’t put him on injured reserve for a reason.
It was the first time in his career he dealt with a back injury, and he was cautious with the initial diagnosis; he got a second opinion that confirmed it in August. Since then, Simmons has been rehabbing his back at the facility, including last week during the Chiefs’ bye week.
Simmons has always been a workout warrior, and despite a personal matter last season that needed immediate attention and forced him to miss games, he’s dedicated himself to getting in shape to become, one day, the NFL’s best left tackle. When he was drafted, coming off a serious injury, he knew his mission was to protect the franchise quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
To do that, he needs to be as close to 100% as possible while managing his back issue. Only he knows his internal pain tolerance. Further, he’s never shied away from his mission for this team, and the Chiefs never wavered in their support.
After a surgical procedure last season that put him on injured reserve and ended his 2025 NFL campaign, he got back to the rehab room and worked tirelessly in the off-season to come back lean and chiseled.
To his credit, he’s not made any public comments; he just went about his work, something we should all aspire to do. At some point, he’ll discuss the injury, but given that this is the third medical incident in the last two years, I can understand why he had to feel comfortable getting back on the field.
Anyone who thinks this was a conspiracy theory, as has been the case on social media, well, it just didn’t fit the narrative of the people we spoke to regarding Josh Simmons.
Every athlete heals differently, and not everyone can be Patrick Mahomes. Simmons has a bulging disc, and it’s a scary injury for an NFL offensive lineman; ultimately, now that he’s at least practicing on a limited basis, the Chiefs will ease him back into his starter role.
When he returns, the Chiefs are expected to move Khalil Benson to tackle right, and when that happens, the Chiefs’ offensive line will be the one Reid envisioned in training camp.
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