Chiefs Place Left Tackle Josh Simmons on Injured Reserve With Back Injury

The Kansas City Chiefs are putting their starting left tackle on the shelf — at least for now. On Thursday, head trainer Rick Burkholder announced that second-year offensive lineman Josh Simmons will be placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for a minimum of four more games as he continues rehabbing a back injury that has kept him out all season.

Simmons has been dealing with a bulging disc in his lower back since training camp. His rehab, Burkholder said, has "plateaued."

"Josh worked his tail off," Burkholder told reporters. "He worked diligently with my staff every day and has improved to the point where he returned to practice in a limited capacity last week. However, we feel he's plateaued in the rehab process as he's trying to get to the final steps of recovery with a return to competition. And he's just not there yet."

A strange injury trail

The trouble started innocuously enough. On Aug. 17 at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, Simmons came to the medical staff with calf discomfort — he couldn't plant on a single leg. It was the same leg on which he had knee surgery in 2024, so the initial suspicion pointed toward the lower leg. Instead, the staff suspected the lower back, and an MRI confirmed a bulging, herniated disc in his lumbar spine.

The diagnosis carried a complication: the disc was higher up than what the team typically sees in offensive linemen, which muddied the recovery picture. Simmons got a second opinion from a California spine specialist the organization has used before, and the recommendation was rehab — not surgery. A follow-up MRI was planned down the road to see how the disc looked.

Surgery remains off the table. "I just give (Simmons) a ton of credit for navigating through this injury to the point where surgery is not recommended and that he needs more time to return to full function," Burkholder said.

Why IR now

The decision came after a telling Wednesday. Simmons did not practice, and the official injury report listed him with both a "back" and a "personal" designation — the latter explained Thursday when Burkholder said Simmons consulted with his family and representatives to discuss next steps. By Thursday, everyone was in agreement.

"He took the day off to get with his people," Burkholder said. "It was decided and agreed upon by everybody that he should be placed on IR to give him more time to return to full function."

The placement means Simmons will miss at least the next four games. He becomes eligible to return for the Week 11 home game against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 22. Once activated, the team would have up to 21 days to practice him before he returns to game action.

The line's next man up — again

In Simmons' absence, undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson has started all five games at left tackle, and the job stays his for the foreseeable future. The timing is far from ideal: the 5-0 Chiefs travel to Seattle on Sunday night to face the Seahawks, and the offensive tackle situation on both sides is getting thin.

Right tackle Jaylon Moore missed Wednesday's practice while in the concussion protocol, opening the door for more snaps from backup Joshua Ezeudu. The receiving corps is banged up too: Rashee Rice sat out Wednesday with hamstring and knee issues after missing the last two games, while Travis Kelce was limited in practice as he recovers from the ankle he tweaked in the Week 6 win over the Chargers.

Benson and company have held up reasonably well so far — the line has helped clear the way for a running game that has Kenneth Walker III looking like one of the league's best backs — but Sunday Night Football against a stout Seattle front is a different test entirely.

The player behind the injury

Simmons, 23, was the No. 32 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, where a torn patellar tendon in 2024 ended his college career. As a rookie he made eight starts before missing four games for a personal matter and landing on IR for the final five games with a wrist injury.

The back issue is the latest chapter in a young career that has shown real promise but precious little continuity. The Chiefs drafted him to be a long-term anchor at the most important spot on the offensive line; Thursday's move is a bet that patience now yields a healthy tackle in November, not a season lost chasing one.

What's next

The Chiefs did not say whether a corresponding roster move was coming, though placing Simmons on IR opens a spot that could go to a practice-squad lineman or an outside addition. The more immediate question is who dresses at tackle Sunday night in Seattle — and whether the league's most watched blind side holds up under the lights at Lumen Field.

Kansas City is 5-0 and rolling, but Sunday Night Football is no place for a thin offensive line. Get game-night ready with the Red Friday collection and rep the loudest fanbase in the league with Loudest Fans gear.