The Kansas City Chiefs placed Josh Simmons on injured reserve because of a bulging disk in his lower back Thursday, guaranteeing their starting left tackle will be out at least four more weeks after having already missed the first five games of the season.
asserted
tackle → place → season
Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson will continue to protect the blind side of Patrick Mahomes.
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Benson → continue → Mahomes
On the right side, Jaylon Moore remains in the concussion protocol, which means Joshua Ezeudu is expected to start at that tackle position on Sunday night in Seattle.
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Ezeudu → remain → Seattle
The Chiefs chose Simmons in the first round of the 2025 draft in the hopes that he could be their franchise left tackle.
uncertain
he → choose → hopes
He was coming off a serious knee injury at Ohio State, but the Chiefs believed he would be able to make a full recovery in time to play as a rookie.
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he → come → rookie
But other factors have kept him off the field.
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factors → keep → field
Simmons started the first five games last season before missing time to deal with personal matters.
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Simmons → start → matters
He returned to start in three more games before a fractured and dislocated hand landed him on IR for the remainder of the season.
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hand → return → season
He showed up to training camp in late July feeling good, though, and Simmons hoped his injury issues were behind him.
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issues → show → him
But on Aug. 17, he reported feeling some discomfort in his calf, and the Chiefs’ training staff determined it was stemming from his back.
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it → report → back
Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder obtained an MRI exam that confirmed the herniated and bulging disk, which was “higher up than we normally see in our offensive linemen, which complicated the case.”
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which → obtain → case
The Chiefs recommended a second opinion, and a back specialist in California believed that Simmons would be able to overcome the injury with rehabilitation rather than surgery.
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Simmons → recommend → rehabilitation
That is why the Chiefs had not put Simmons on injured reserve until Thursday.
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Chiefs → put → Thursday
“Josh worked his tail off.
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Josh → work → tail
He worked diligently with my staff every day, and he improved to the point where he returned to practice in a limited capacity last week,” Burkholder said.
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Burkholder → work → capacity
“However we feel he plateaued in the recovery process.
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he → feel → process
He’s just not there yet.”
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He → ’ → ?
After discussing the situation with Simmons, his family and representatives, the decision was made to place him on IR.
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decision → discuss → IR
“It was decided and agreed upon by everybody,” Burkholder said, adding that surgery still is not in the forecast.
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surgery → decide → forecast
Benson has surpassed all expectations at left tackle after the former Indiana offensive lineman stepped into role.
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lineman → surpass → role
And when pressed into duty against the Chargers last Sunday, Ezeudu faired well in Moore’s place on the right side the rest of the way.
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Ezeudu → press → way
The Chiefs acquired him for a seventh-round pick in August.
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Chiefs → acquire → August
“He’s played before,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “and when we brought him in, we knew that, and we knew he was a good player.
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he → play → that
So now, potentially, there’s an opportunity to be in there and play, and I thought he did a nice job when he was in there this past weekend.
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he → ’ → job
So yeah, I think everybody around him has got confidence in him, too.”
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everybody → think → him
The Aporia
