The Kansas City Chiefs are riding high following their dominant 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.
During the primetime victory, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 22-of-30 passes for 257 yards and four total touchdowns, three passing and one rushing. After earning a 132.2 passer rating, the NFL named Mahomes the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.
Overall, it’s the 12th time Mahomes has earned the weekly award. While there’s a lot to celebrate, Mahomes is already looking ahead toward Kansas City’s Week 7 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Unfortunately, it appears the Chiefs may once again be playing with their starting left tackle, Josh Simmons.
Just hours before kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium last week, Simmons hit the injury report as “questionable” due to a personal matter. Simmons ultimately did not play against the Lions, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid tapped Jaylon Moore to protect Mahomes’ blind side.
The AP reported that Simmons left the team and traveled home to California to deal with a family situation. While it’s unclear when Simmons will return, fans are hoping as soon as possible — Mahomes’ message on the 2025 first-rounder only drew more concern.
Patrick Mahomes Sent Prayers to Chiefs LT Josh Simmons
GettyBills left tackle Josh Simmons at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2025.
Speaking to reporters after defeating the Lions, Reid kept details on Simmons’ situation close to the chest. “We’ll see when he’s back,” Reid said. “He’s going to take care of that, and we’re going to see where it goes from there. We were aware of it, yeah.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, October 15, Mahomes addressed Simmons’ absence. While the 30-year-old quarterback is keeping their conversations “private,” per AtoZSports Charles Goldman, “he’s praying for him.”
Mahomes previously admitted that Simmons’ abrupt departure took him by surprise on Sunday. “Yeah, I mean, I didn’t fully know,” the two-time league MVP said. “Obviously, we had a walkthrough around noon, 1 o’clock, whatever it was. He wasn’t there, so I knew something was up. Talking with the coaches after, obviously a personal matter.”
The rookie tackle remained absent from practice on Wednesday. Reid declined to offer any further details on Simmons’ possible return. However, he noted that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is handling the situation.
Josh Simmons’ Replacement, Jaylon Moore, Welcomed a Baby The Morning Of His First Chiefs Start
Before drafting Simmons, the Chiefs signed Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract this past offseason. While Moore and his wife, Sydney, welcomed their third child, a daughter named Selah Rae, on Sunday morning, he suited up and made his first start that evening.
“Jaylon, I thought, did a nice job,” Reid told reporters after defeating the Lions. “He just had a baby too, which is a great thing, last night or early this morning — however you want to put it. He stepped in.
“Josh was gone for personal reasons, so for him to step in was a nice thing and I thought he did a nice job. Attribute [that] to [offensive line coach] Andy [Heck] for rolling those guys during the week and getting that part done.”
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