What was supposed to be the Kansas City Chiefs’ long-term solution at left tackle is now becoming one of the franchise’s biggest question marks.
When the Chiefs selected Josh Simmons in the first round of the 2025 Draft, they believed they had found Patrick Mahomes’ blind-side protector for the next decade. Despite coming off a serious knee injury, Simmons rushed back and was thrown straight into the fire as a Week 1 starter — a bold move that already raised eyebrows across the league.
But his rookie season never truly got off the ground.
A personal issue, followed by another injury on Thanksgiving, meant Simmons played in barely half of Kansas City’s games. The lack of continuity left him struggling to find rhythm, and it showed when Pro Football Focus released its list of the NFL’s Top 15 rookie offensive linemen — Simmons wasn’t even close.
Four rookie tackles made the cut: Kelvin Banks Jr., Armand Membou, Will Campbell and fourth-round surprise Jalen Travis. Simmons? Nowhere to be seen.
The Numbers Are Alarming 📉
Digging into the metrics paints an uncomfortable picture. Simmons finished the season with a 62.7 overall PFF grade, ranking him 60th out of 86 tackles league-wide.
His biggest weakness? Run-blocking.
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Run-blocking grade: 48.1 (6th-worst in the NFL)
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Pass-blocking grade: 75.5 (22nd out of 86 tackles)
In other words, Simmons has been solid protecting the quarterback — exactly what he was known for at Ohio State — but a liability when it comes to opening lanes for the run game. And for a Chiefs team that already struggled to generate explosive rushing plays, that’s a dangerous flaw.
A Make-Or-Break Year Ahead ⏳
To be fair, Simmons was battling more than just NFL defenses. He entered the season barely removed from major knee surgery and never had the chance to settle in with a consistently healthy offensive line.
The silver lining? By the time the 2026 season kicks off, Simmons will finally be fully removed from his injury nightmare. If he takes the expected Year-2 leap, this story disappears overnight.
But if he doesn’t…
Kansas City may suddenly find itself searching for Mahomes’ next blind-side protector far sooner than anyone ever imagined.
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