As the Kansas City Chiefs gear up for another campaign with championship aspirations, all eyes are on a roster brimming with talent. And yet one rookie is already commanding attention at training camp and could become the team’s unexpected difference-maker: first-round left tackle Josh Simmons. It isn’t a stretch to say that Simmons’ arrival in Kansas City is shaping up as one of the league’s most pivotal offseason developments.
Simmons was selected at the end of the first round to address the team’s most glaring weakness: poss protection. This was especially the case on the left side of the offensive line. Last year, star guard Joe Thuney was forced to play out of position at left tackle, exposing the unit and putting extra pressure on Mahomes. Thuney (now in Chicago) was an adequate band-aid that got exposed in the Super Bowl. It’s clear the Chiefs needed a long term quality answer at left tackle and chose Simmons to fill that role.
Simmons fall in the draft has turned out to be very fortuitous for the Chiefs. The young tackle was a highly touted recruit that performed at a high level for one of the top programs in the country. The only reason he fell so far was due to concerns about a potential lingering injury that would risk his availability for the 2025 season. Simmons’ most recent performances in Chiefs camp have put any and all of these concerns to bed.
Three weeks into training camp, the Associated Press reports not only that Simmons is showing “no lingering effects” of his injury, but that he is “routinely punishing teammates in one-on-one drills” and has “solidified the starting job” ahead of preseason games. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor is effusive in his praise: “He’s very talented, man. Very, very good rookie so far… He’s going to have a great career here.”
But what might excite Chiefs fans most is what Simmons is doing for Mahomes and the explosive passing game. According to the AP, in practices, Simmons’ presence has “consistently given Mahomes more time to throw,” leading to “the kinds of explosive downfield passing plays that have been absent from the Kansas City offense the past few years.”
The numbers underscore just how critical Simmons’ arrival could be. Last season, the Chiefs ranked near the top of the NFL in pass attempts while Mahomes found himself pressured at an above-average rate. The below chart highlights the predicament that Mahomes and the Chiefs offense felt last season. Their pressure rate was way too high to be efficient on offense.
Even more concerning, the Chiefs were near the bottom of the league in explosive plays, right alongside the New York Giants. In today’s NFL most offenses have to produce explosive plays to be consistently productive. The Chiefs found a way to succeed despite very few of these kind of plays. But that kind of winning isn’t sustainable, as the Super Bowl defeat illustrated.
Early indicators from training camp suggest Simmons’ advances are already tilting those stats in the right direction. Just this one improvement could be enough to get this Chiefs offense back to striking fear into their opposition.
It’s important to note that Simmons isn’t just impressing on the field. His off-field commitment is winning over the entire Chiefs organization. According to ESPN.com, even during team off-days, Simmons has been spotted at the Kansas City facility, putting in extra work to rehab, study, and prepare. Front office leader Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid both cite Simmons’ “championship effort” and relentless approach as setting him apart.
It’s rare for a rookie to garner universal praise from coaches, front office, and both offensive and defensive teammates. But Simmons has managed just that. Defensive end Mike Danna and others have remarked on Simmons’ professionalism and effort. It’s clear that Simmons is showing day in and day out that he belongs at the highest level.
Despite being picked in the first round, Simmons flew under the radar compared to other star rookie tackles. More highly touted peers like Will Campbell or Kelvin Banks Jr. received the draft-day attention, but now it’s Simmons who is far ahead in development and impact.
As the Chiefs proved last year, a dominant left tackle (or lack thereof) can be what pushes a contending team over the edge to Super Bowl champion. The emergence of Josh Simmons could be what allows the Chiefs to yet again throw another championship parade.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the Saturday Morning Inspection YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
