Sunday morning Chiefs fan woke up in high anticipation of their Sunday night showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, the Chiefs Kingdom got a peek into the abyss as the team disclosed private details about its interactions with tackle Josh Simmons. So what does it mean?
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that the Kansas City Chiefs asked left tackle Josh Simmons to leave a team meeting. He apologized to his head coach and team leaders afterward, but that doesn’t solve the problem. So much to unpack in all of this, but why would an organization like the Chiefs, who never call out players in the press, do just that with their off-injured and moody left tackle?
In April of 2025, Chiefs fans were ecstatic when the team drafted Josh Simmons with the 32nd pick of the first round. Fans were clamoring for a premier left tackle, and the Chiefs obliged by selecting the Ohio State standout.
From the start of camp, Head Coach Andy Reid, who chose Simmons, immediately named him the team’s starter at left tackle. It looked like a home run until it wasn’t.
Simmons left the team under questionable circumstances early in the regular season and would be away from the Chiefs for a month. It wasn’t ideal, and it raised red flags in league circles before the draft that Simmons wasn’t worthy of a first-round selection.
I’m not going to get into the weeds of those rumors, because they are just that. When Simmons returned, he was reinserted at left tackle and addressed the media. He said it was a family matter, and the local press didn’t push too much, considering some were given intel about what happened and that it caused Simmons to go back to San Diego in the middle of the night before a game.
Regardless, that set off alarm bells, and though Simmons was welcomed back, he injured his wrist, limiting his rookie season to just eight games. In those battles, he was dominant.
However, those trinkets of success pale in comparison to the news this morning that Simmons pissed off his head coach, Andy Reid, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Per the report, Reid told Simmons on Wednesday to leave a team meeting after an altercation with the head coach and quarterback.
Simmons later apologized, but the message was clear. The team put him on Injured Reserve and have told their starting left to get his sh** together. That means getting his back right and putting his head on straight.
If both happen, the Chiefs may let him back in the building. For now, he’s persona non grata and will do his rehab on both elements, away from Arrowhead and Kansas City.
The bigger message, though, is that early Sunday morning, Reid, Brett Veach, or Mahomes gave Rappaport and Garafalo permission to run the story. By doing so before kickoff of the France game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, social media ran with the story.
Those who defended Simmons, as I have at times, got an undisputed slap in the face. Those who correctly pointed out there was more to the injured back story took a victory lap.
Either way, this is not good for the Chiefs. Worse, after taking such a beating nationally for not being more upfront about the issues surrounding Simmons, they felt the need to leak the story about Wednesday’s events.
I’ve been around this team for decades, and I can’t remember a time the Chiefs have called out one of their players so publicly and with such detail.
Was it the right thing to do?
Only Reid, Veach, and Mahomes can answer that question, and trust me, they won’t. Again, after the initial incident, Simmons did apologize to Reid and the team leaders, but it’s clear he has some issues to deal with that probably have nothing to do with football.
What’s also clear is that Khalil Benson will remain at left tackle, even if Simmons returns. Unless this team sustains a serious injury at the position, it’s his job going forward.
We should have seen the signs when the Kansas City Chiefs traded for tackles Joshua Ezeude from the New York Giants and Diego Pounds from the Baltimore Ravens. Both were added to the 53-man roster.
Ezeude will start at right tackle for the Chiefs tonight. He’s replacing Jaylon Moore, who is out with a concussion.
In summary, I hope this isn’t a distraction for the Chiefs tonight as they head to Seattle trying to improve to 6-0. I tend to believe it won’t be because, after all, they released the story.
Worse, if it wasn’t Mahomes, Veach, or Reid, then it came from a player, which could become an internal issue that has to be dealt with swiftly.
Either way, this story just got elevated, and social media won’t let it diminish in any capacity until the Chiefs and Simmons make up or break up.
