After becoming a final second scratch last week, Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons will miss his second game in a row as he deals with what head coach Andy Reid described as a “family situation” (via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor). This reporting echoes the wording used within the initial reports made last week by NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
Simmons was downgraded to questionable just hours before the team’s Sunday night matchup with the Lions and didn’t find yourself playing. This wasn’t the primary time Simmons had been given a late-week injury designation in his young NFL profession. In a radio appearance yesterday, ESPN’s Nate Taylor disclosed that Simmons had also been a late addition to the injury report in Week 5, being listed as questionable on account of illness.
Taylor went on to say, “I used to be type of told yesterday that his blip on the injury report hours before kickoff within the stadium in Jacksonville is said to what he’s coping with now.”
It’s hard to see the link between an illness and “personal” designation on account of a family situation, but with the dearth of clarity on anything related to Simmons in the intervening time, clear answers are usually not expected. It also looks like the first-round pick has yet to rejoin the team in any respect as he’s missed practice this week. In accordance with Jacob Camenker of USA Today, quarterback Patrick Mahomes told the media that he’d been in communication with Simmons, which makes it sound as if he hasn’t been within the constructing.
Free agent addition Jaylon Moore was called on to begin at left tackle in Simmons’ place on Sunday. Following his signing and Simmons’ selection within the draft, it was thought that Moore can have been brought in to function a bridge at left tackle in case Simmons needed development. Over his first 4 years within the league, Moore only began 12 games for the 49ers as a primary backup. Kansas City agreed to pay him $30MM over a two-year deal, yet his first start for the Chiefs got here six weeks into the season. Moore struggled within the spot start, making the uncertainty of Simmons’ situation all of the more worrisome.
In the meanwhile, though, there doesn’t appear to be any information suggesting Simmons could return soon. Per Camenker, when head coach Andy Reid was asked if there was any timetable for Simmons’ return, Reid shook his head. This was at a press conference that Reid opened up by saying, “So far as Josh Simmons’ situation goes, I’m not going to comment on it today. (General manager Brett) Veach is handling every thing there, and we’ll leave it at that.”
If that’s all we’re getting from the Chiefs’ head coach, it appears like it won’t be an easily remediable situation.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.