Kansas City Chiefs starting left tackle Josh Simmons missed the team’s Week 6 game against the Detroit Lions due to what was described as a personal issue, and there have since been reports that the matter is serious.
The Chiefs announced hours before their 30-17 win over the Lions on “Sunday Night Football” that Simmons was questionable for a non-injury reason. The rookie did not play in the game and has not been at practice this week. On Wednesday, Patrick Mahomes told reporters that he is “praying” for Simmons. Head coach Andy Reid had no interest in discussing the Simmons situation and directed any questions to general manager Brett Veach.
ESPN’s Nate Taylor tried to provide some more context during a Thursday appearance on 96.5 The Fan’s “Fescoe and Dusty” show.
“When Patrick Mahomes said (Thursday) that he’s praying for Josh Simmons, I think we all need to take that cue from the quarterback,” Taylor said. “I’m fearful, I guess, is probably the best way I can explain what I’ve heard, some of which I’ve tried to gather and confirm and other things that I’m still trying to pursue in terms of just having a better understanding of what Josh is going through.
“I’m just fearful because we don’t have all the details right now, and that makes the outcome, perhaps, grim. I just want people to understand that this is really difficult for Josh and I can’t imagine what he’s going through, based on what I’ve heard. Hopefully we’ll know more in the coming days.”
Hours before Kansas City’s Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Simmons was added to the injury report because of an illness. Simmons played in that game, but Taylor said he believes that injury designation was related to whatever is going on in Simmons’ personal life. The longtime Chiefs reporter also described the issue as “extremely serious.”
“Based on what I learned yesterday, I almost came away more impressed with how he’s performed over the last couple weeks before any of this became a greater situation. … This is extremely serious and if it gets resolved, hey who knows, a month from now, he could be back on the field,” Taylor said.
Simmons, a former Ohio State star, fell in the first round of the draft due to injuries and supposed concerns about his worth ethic. The Chiefs drafted him 32nd overall, and he has quickly become a quality starter at a position of need.
For now, it is unclear when or if Simmons will return.
