Chiefs place left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve with back injury

Chiefs fans have been waiting all season to see Josh Simmons back at left tackle. That wait just got longer.

The Kansas City Chiefs are placing Simmons on injured reserve as he continues to rehab a bulging disc in his lower back, the team announced Thursday, Oct. 22. Rick Burkholder, who leads the Chiefs’ sports medicine staff, said in a statement that Simmons has hit a plateau in his rehab and needs more time to return to full function. Surgery is not being considered.

So, how did we get here?

According to Pro Football Talk, Simmons first reported calf discomfort back on Aug. 17, and the medical staff later traced the problem to his back, where an MRI confirmed the bulging disc. He has missed all five of Kansas City’s games so far this season.

There was some hope last week. Simmons returned to practice as a limited participant for the first time since the injury, but he wasn’t on the practice field this week while the team and his representatives worked out next steps, Heavy reports. The Chiefs say his rehab stalled before he could be cleared to return to competition.

Simmons was Kansas City’s first-round pick (No. 32 overall) in the 2025 draft out of Ohio State. His rookie season was also interrupted by a stint on injured reserve after he dislocated and fractured his wrist on Thanksgiving and needed surgery.

What happens next?

The IR move means Simmons must miss at least four more games. Heavy notes his earliest possible return would be the Chiefs’ Nov. 22 home game against the Arizona Cardinals, though that’s far from guaranteed. In the meantime, undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson, who has started every game at left tackle this season and was named AFC Rookie of the Month for September, keeps the job.

Why it matters

Protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side was supposed to be Simmons’ job for the next decade, and that’s the long-term question here, not the next four weeks. To be honest, the Chiefs handled the messaging well: clear diagnosis, clear reasoning, no surgery talk to spook anyone. At the same time, back injuries for offensive linemen are tricky, and a second straight season interrupted by IR is not what you want from a first-round tackle. The good news? Benson has made this a lot less stressful than it could have been, so there’s no sense in Kansas City hitting panic mode.

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