The life of an NFL rookie can be really challenging, especially when everything is going smoothly. It becomes even tougher if you join your new team with an injury, which is the situation for Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons.
After suffering a patellar injury last season at Ohio State, Simmons now finds himself in the rehab group as offseason training activities (OTAs) begin. This is a tough position for a first-round draft pick who is expected to play at times in 2025.
As the offseason workouts progress, rookies aim to impress the coaching staff so they can secure a spot on the final 53-man roster or, at the very least, make it onto the practice squad. However, Simmons needs to stand out in a different way—through his strong work ethic.
“I’ve been really impressed with his professionalism since he arrived here,” said offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. “He’s focused and doing everything he can within the limits of his injury. That’s all he can do right now.
He has a fantastic group of guys on that offensive line, with Coach [Andy] Heck and Coach [Matt] Matthaei guiding them. He’s in a great position, and we just need to keep him moving forward; his film looks really good.”
The goal is to keep that arrow pointing up. Once Simmons gets cleared for full practice, we will have a clearer idea of his position in the left tackle lineup.
Right now, the starting spot goes to free agent signing Jaylon Moore. However, if we and the Chiefs are being honest, it would be ideal for Simmons to take over Moore’s position sometime during the 2025 season.
To make that happen, he needs to put in the work and get plenty of practice this offseason, especially during training camp. According to Nagy, it looks like the rookie is improving well enough to reach that goal.
