Chiefs Send LT Josh Simmons to IR After Rehab 'Plateaus'

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially pulling the plug on Josh Simmons' immediate return, sending the starting left tackle to Injured Reserve with a bulging disc.

Back injuries are the check engine light of the human body. You can ignore it for a while, but eventually, the whole operation just grinds to a halt.

""Worked his tail off & dilgent every day. However, we feel his plateaued in the rehab process." - Rick Burkholder"

Ian Rapoport relayed the grim update from Chiefs head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder via Nate Taylor. Burkholder noted the 23-year-old "worked his tail off" but admitted his rehab process had officially plateaued.

"Plateaued in the rehab process" is polite medical speak for realizing that no amount of ice and stretching is going to let a 310-pound man block NFL edge rushers right now.

This is a brutal setback for the 2025 first-round pick out of Ohio State. Simmons was supposed to be the blindside anchor on his four-year, $14.68 million rookie deal after injuries limited him to just eight starts last year. Instead, he has already missed four straight games, and this IR stint guarantees he will miss at least four more.

Kansas City just handled the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6 without him, but surviving a divisional rock fight is different than making a deep playoff run with a patchwork offensive line. Bettors looking at the Chiefs' futures or weekly team totals need to factor in that their left tackle spot is now officially a construction zone.

Simmons will be sidelined for the foreseeable future while the medical staff tries to get his back right. The Chiefs will have to figure out their rotation up front immediately, and if the internal options keep plateauing too, the front office might be forced to go shopping before the trade deadline.