Andy Reid Shares Major Update on Josh Simmons Before Commanders Game

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on September 21, 2025.

The Kansas City Chiefs are on a hot streak following their 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Next up, Kansas City looks to nab its third consecutive win with a victory against the Washington Commanders, a team riddled with injuries.

As for the Chiefs, their offense is in the healthiest spot they’ve been in years. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked unstoppable against the Raiders with the team’s “Big 3” all active for the first time: Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Xavier Worthy.

Mahomes completed 26-of-35 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns, along with four carries for 28 yards in three quarters. Even before Rice’s return, the 30-year-old quarterback completed 22-of-30 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns during Kansas City’s 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 6.

The biggest piece of the Chiefs’ offense missing from these two big wins is starting left tackle Josh Simmons.

GettyChiefs left tackle Josh Simmons at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2025.

A few hours before the kickoff against the Lions, Simmons abruptly left the team and flew home to California to attend to a family situation. In his place, left tackle Jaylon Moore made his first start of the season.

Simmons remained away from the team during Kansas City’s win over the Raiders. While the team continues to keep details of the rookie’s personal issues private, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared good news regarding Simmons on Thursday, October 23.

Andy Reid Shared A ‘Positive’ Update on Chiefs LT Josh Simmons

“My update with Josh would just be there’s been communication. Not going to get into all of it. Everything is positive. It’s not a negative situation,” Reid told reporters. “He’s taking care of family.”

After giving no comment for weeks and deferring the matter to Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, this update offers a glimmer of hope that Simmons will return to the team this season. “You know, he’s just been taking care of business,” Reid added. “So, that’s the main thing right here. When you deal with this, that’s what you do. And he’s been very good about communicating it.”

ESPN’s Nate Taylor told 96.5 The Fan earlier this month, “I do believe it’s a family matter. I’m fearful, which is probably the best way I can explain what I’ve heard.”

“I’m fearful because we don’t have all the answers right now, that makes the outcome perhaps grim,” Taylor continued. “I just want people to understand that this is really difficult for Josh. I can’t imagine what he’s going through based on what I’ve heard, but hopefully, we’ll know more in the coming days.”

Overall, the situation is “extremely serious,” Taylor noted. “If he has the chance to get back to normalcy and get back to football, he will do that.”

Chiefs Tackle Jaylon Moore Has Proved To Be a Great Replacement While Josh Simmons Remains Out

Before selecting Simmons in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, Kansas City signed Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.

After playing a minimal role in the first five games of the season, the five-year veteran immediately stepped into the starting role following Simmons’ exit. Moore’s been impactful in protecting Mahomes’ blindside. Thus far this season, he’s committed zero penalties and allowed just one sack in 165 snaps.

Emily Bicks covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Bills, Seahawks and Chiefs. She’s contributed to Heavy since 2019 and has interviewed some of the biggest stars in sports, including Jerry Rice, Shaquille O’Neal and Stefon Diggs. More about Emily Bicks