Kansas City Chiefs rookie Josh Simmons started each of the three preseason games at left tackle.
In Friday’s contest he played into the second quarter, lining up for 21 snaps (14 passes and seven runs).
“Josh was solid in the run game and the pass game,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “He held his own.”
Playing Simmons for three series was part of an unusual strategy by Reid, who usually rests his starters in the final season game. But he played them in the 29-27 loss to the Chicago Bears instead to get them ready for another Friday night game to begin the season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil.
And this final dress rehearsal featured a strong performance by Simmons.
To cap the first drive of the game, he delivered a great block to seal the edge against Bears defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Jr. on Isiah Pacheco’s two-yard touchdown run.
On the second-to-last-play of the second quarter, his block on Dayo Odeyingbo allowed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to run for 18 yards.
Even when Mahomes was pressured on the last play of the second Chiefs offensive drive — forcing him to scramble out of the pocket and throw a pass to Kareem Hunt, which the running back couldn’t catch — the pressure came from the right side.
Simmons played a clean game, though on third play of game, the man he started blocking, Odeyingbo, pressured Mahomes, but the Bears defensive end had to loop inside past center Creed Humphrey to do so.
All in all, Mahomes and the Chiefs put up 17 points on the three possessions Simmons was in the game.
“It starts up front,” Mahomes said. “When the offensive line’s blocking like that, it kind of gets the offense going.”
To be Mahomes’ blind-side protector on the left side, the Chiefs signed offensive tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million free-agent contract.
But instead it’s been the rookie Simmons, a top 15 draft talent who slid to the last pick of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft because of concerns about his knee, who has started at left tackle throughout training camp and the preseason.
“I like the way he’s approached it,” Reid said. “He’s worked at it. He hasn’t missed a beat here as far as missing a day or any of that. He’s been available.”
Despite the auspicious preseason debut by a player some thought would have to be gradually worked into the lineup, Simmons said he’s still trying to improve his athleticism, hand striking and tells — so that he doesn’t tip off the defense to whether the Chiefs are going to run or pass.
“I’m just working on everything,” he said.
Simmons knows that the speed of the game will be ratcheted up in the regular season, but starting with the first team in the preseason has served as a valuable learning tool.
“It’s a great piece that you can take to practice every week and kind of build off of,” he said. “If I could just take the little baby nuggets that I’m getting in the preseason and work on it for Week One, we’ll be good.”
