This move ends any hope of a quick return for the first-round pick. He hit a physical wall during rehab and cannot clear the threshold for full-contact football. Rick Burkholder, the team’s VP of Sports Medicine and Performance, walked reporters through the messy timeline on Thursday afternoon.
Burkholder’s remarks indicated that this injury was unusual and did not follow standard protocols. “Alright, so I want to talk about Josh Simmons and give you a little timeline here,” Burkholder said, according to A to Z Sports. The trouble started on August 17 when Simmons felt calf discomfort and could not put weight on that leg. Surgically repairing that same leg during the 2024 college football season complicated the initial diagnosis.
The Medical Impasse
Doctors found a bulging herniated disc in his lumbar spine, but the location was higher up than what they normally see in offensive linemen. This specific spot complicated the case and forced the team to seek a second opinion from a spine specialist in California. The specialist recommended rehabilitation instead of surgery, and a follow-up MRI showed the disc had improved. The plan was working until the intensity ramped up last week.
Simmons had resumed limited practice, but the increased speed revealed persistent symptoms that stopped his progress cold. Burkholder explained the setback with a simple phrase that sums up the frustration. Burkholder told reporters that Josh worked his tail off when discussing the setback. A distinct physical barrier was encountered by the young lineman during the final phases of his conditioning. He just could not get to the final steps of recovery needed for elite play.
A Team Decision
The decision to move him to IR was not made lightly or in secret. “Throughout this process, we’ve had frequent communication with the second opinion, with our doctors, and Josh and his agent,” Burkholder said. Every single person involved agreed that more time was the only safe option. The team wanted to avoid risking permanent structural damage to his back.
“It was decided and agreed upon by everybody, his people, his agent, and him, myself, Andy (Reid), (Brett) Veach, that he should be placed on IR to give him more time to return to full function,” Burkholder said. The earliest he could return is Week 11’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. That is a four-week minimum wait that leaves the Chiefs scrambling for depth on the offensive line.
This injury hits right as the team faces a tough road test in Seattle. The blindside protector is gone, and the pressure on the remaining linemen to hold the pocket just got much heavier. The Chiefs have a perfect 5-0 record, but they can’t afford to lose Patrick Mahomes to a blindside hit.
