As if their push for the postseason wasn’t challenging enough, the Kansas City Chiefs turned up the difficulty sliders in Week 13. Thanksgiving Day’s 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys dropped them to 6-6, and that isn’t even the worst news.
Two offensive linemen, left tackle Josh Simmons and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, got hurt. One injury situation seems more pressing than the other, and head coach Andy Reid has an update on it.
It isn’t good news for the AFC postseason hopefuls.
Chiefs Placing Josh Simmons on Injured Reserve Following Surgery
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Reid confirmed that Simmons had surgery to repair a significant wrist injury. He’s headed to the injured reserve list.
“Josh Simmons ended up having surgery on that wrist for a fracture and dislocation,” Reid began. “He’ll go onto IR, and then we’ll just see about the recovery on that, how it goes from there.”
Reid admitted Simmons isn’t handling being on the shelf very well, but a successful surgery is tremendous news nonetheless.
“Listen, the kid loves to play football,” Reid said. “That part, he’s depressed about that part. That’s probably the wrong word — he’s down about that part. But he’s upbeat that the surgery went well, which is a real positive, so he feels good about that. It’s just a matter of coming back. He did a great job with the knee coming back. He’s a worker. Whatever he can do to rehab it, he’s going to do. That’s just how he rolls.”
On Monday, Reid relayed that Simmons was seeking a second opinion on the injury. With that — as well as his procedure — in the rearview mirror, he can now focus on rehabbing. Does Kansas City plan on getting its first-round pick back if it makes the playoffs? Not necessarily, but Reid didn’t shut the door on that possibility.
“We’ll see how that goes,” Reid said. “Got to wait just a little bit on that, Herbie [Teope], and see how that goes with his recovery. There’s always that chance.”
In a collision involving running back Kareem Hunt, Simmons sustained the wrist ailment in Week 13. It was just his third game back after a multi-week absence earlier this season due to a personal matter.
Tackle prospect Esa Pole, who recently rejoined the Chiefs, will take his spot on the active roster.
Assessing Simmons’ Rookie Season in Kansas City
By going on injured reserve this week, Simmons has to miss at least four games. At minimum, he’ll be inactive for contests against the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos. Should he have his 21-day practice window opened prior to Week 18, he’d have just one regular-season outing left. The Chiefs close their campaign against the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s been a roller coaster of a debut season for Simmons, and ironically not stemming from his on-field play. When available, the Ohio State product has held up fairly well. The 22-year-old started every game from Weeks 1-5, then returned for Week 11’s 22-19 loss to Denver. He has 526 snaps to his name on offense, good for 93.6% of those available in his games played.
Advanced barometers paint a varied picture of Simmons’ performance. Pro Football Focus, for example, credits him with a 48.1 run blocking grade that ranks 74th out of 80 qualified tackles. On the other hand, his pass blocking grade of 75.5 is No. 21 in that same group. Penalties, including two in Week 13, likely bog down his metrics.
Simmons’ ability to succeed as a pass protector right out of the gate is impressive. Per PFF, 56 tackles have logged 300+ snaps in 2025. Simmons is tied for the 12th-fewest pressures allowed with 18, and his 97.0 efficiency mark is tied for 19th. Most of the time, the 32nd overall pick from April keeps quarterback Patrick Mahomes clean.
It’s safe to say the Chiefs will miss that effectiveness for as long as Simmons is out.
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