The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t feeling too grateful this year. After falling to the Dallas Cowboys in front of a massive audience on Thanksgiving Day, the team’s offense is now facing another significant hurdle with the news that left tackle Josh Simmons is going to miss some time with a wrist injury.
In case you missed it due to holiday festivities or some premonition that helped you avoid watching a frustrating game, the Chiefs not only failed to match the Cowboys’ effort and execution in a 31-28 defeat, but they also watched Simmons depart the game in the second half. Simmons was designated as questionable to return at the time of his injury.
For the Chiefs, who were already down starting right guard Trey Smith to start the game and then starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor once things got underway, the loss of Simmons meant that Patrick Mahomes was trying to carry the offense on his back with three backup linemen in front of him in the fourth quarter.
The initial news on Josh Simmons was not good following the Chiefs’ loss on Thanksgiving Day.
Following the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid acknowledged the lack of clarity and simply stated, “We’ll have to see how they recover.” That said, the description on the scene wasn’t pretty.
Chiefs LT Josh Simmons has a cast on his left wrist, and his arm is in a sling.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) November 28, 2025
Following the game, however, NFL reporter Ian Rapoport broke the news that Simmons had both dislocated and fractured his wrist. Simmons also noted that an MRI would clarify the picture on Friday, but that he was “out indefinitely.”
The Chiefs have a bit more rest coming their way after being forced by the NFL’s scheduling gods to play on a short week following their Week 12 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. However, it sounds as if those 10 days might not be enough to get Simmons ready to play. Hopefully it will give other ailing Chiefs, including Smith and Taylor, a chance to return.
The Houston Texans are on deck for a visit to Arrowhead, followed by another home game against the L.A. Chargers. Houston’s defense, anchored by Will Anderson’s campaign toward stardom, is going to be a real problem for the Chiefs’ tackles as it is. Jaylon Moore’s presence as the swing tackle is now more important than ever, given that every game from here on out is a must-win—if it wasn’t that way already.
The Chiefs will offer updates on Simmons in the hours and days to come, but it seems as if Moore should now be expected to slot in as the team’s left tackle, just as he did in a four-game stretch when Simmons attended to a personal matter before the bye in Week 10.
