Mahomes, Reid Confronted Chiefs Tackle Simmons Over Meeting Conduct
Offensive lineman Josh Simmons was reportedly told to leave a team meeting by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid shortly before being placed on injured reserve.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons was instructed to leave a team meeting by head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Wednesday, one day before he was placed on the injured reserve list with a herniated disk.
According to ESPN, the incident occurred when Simmons sat with his feet elevated during the meeting. Reid asked Simmons to lower his feet, to which the tackle, who had not played this season due to a back injury, reportedly responded that his back and hips were causing him pain. Reid then suggested Simmons seek treatment from the team's trainers.
The exchange escalated until Mahomes supported Reid, telling Simmons to get treatment, prompting Simmons to leave the meeting. Sources told ESPN that Simmons later apologized for his conduct and acknowledged he should have handled the situation differently.
Simmons missed practice on Wednesday, with the absence officially listed as "back/not injury related-personal." On Thursday, the Chiefs announced he had been placed on injured reserve, citing a bulging, herniated disk in his lower back. Surgery is not anticipated, and Simmons is expected to miss at least the team's next four games.
Simmons, a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft from Ohio State, has experienced a difficult start to his professional career. He has played in only eight games over his first season and a half with the team. Last season, he missed four weeks due to a family matter, returned for three games, and then sustained a wrist fracture requiring season-ending surgery.
This current season saw Simmons initially believe he had a calf injury in August. However, trainers later diagnosed the bulging disk in his back, for which rehabilitation, not surgery, was recommended.