Arrowhead Pride
One of the lone bright spots of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 season was the emergence of rookie left tackle Josh Simmons. The Chiefs drafted Simmons with the 32nd pick in last year’s draft, and he instantly became the starting left tackle heading into training camp.
After starting the season on a strong note, Simmons missed roughly one month for personal reasons, but he picked up where he left off when he returned for three games. Unfortunately, a fractured wrist suffered on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys landed him on the IR and ended his rookie season.
Simmons only played in eight games for Kansas City, but he proved enough to be the left tackle of the future and will play a key role as the team looks to rebound in 2026.
Simmons entered the season with question marks about his health due to the patellar knee injury he suffered in 2024 at Ohio State. By training camp, Simmons was given clearance to play, and he immediately showed off his athletic ability and displayed traits the Chiefs have been lacking at offensive tackle for some time now.
Against established veterans in training camp and the preseason, Simmons more than held his own. With no red flags or caution tape, and the confidence of his coaches and teammates, Simmons was named the Week 1 starter and earned the responsibility of protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.
The Chiefs have struggled to find consistency at left tackle for years, but Simmons instantly showed that he can be a high-level pass protector and compete with the best the game has to offer.
Simmons had his hands full early in his first career game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but here, he holds his own against future Hall of Fame edge rusher Khalil Mack. He finished with a solid performance against a formidable opponent, nearly unscathed, and had multiple snaps where he appeared to be in control of the powerful Chargers’ pass rush.
Against tough opposition, Simmons made a few rookie mistakes, but his athleticism and tenacity helped him recover.
Despite the mistakes, he was able to bounce back and challenge high-level competition.
As the weeks progressed, he continued to show progress with his pass protection, and specifically how he used his hands to thwart defenders. His feet were already a strength of his, but the development he showed with his hands in such a short period of time was remarkable.
It can take some tackles nearly a decade to master the snatch, but in less than eight weeks of live NFL action, Simmons was executing the technique at a high level. He does it here against the Denver Broncos.
The ability to drive and catch out of his stance has been immaculate since his college days, but the newfound ability to take a pass rusher’s momentum and use it against them defined his rookie season. Seeing the high-level development of a good player, going from a...
