why is josh simmons not playing

Josh Simmons is not playing because he suffered a serious wrist injury and is currently on injured reserve for the Kansas City Chiefs.

What happened to Josh Simmons?

• Simmons, the Chiefs’ rookie left tackle and 2025 first‑round pick, sustained a dislocated and fractured wrist in a game against the Dallas Cowboys around Thanksgiving.

• The injury occurred late in the game and was significant enough that he left the stadium with his wrist in a cast.

Current status and timeline

• He underwent surgery to repair the wrist, and the team placed him on injured reserve, which automatically rules him out for at least four games.

• Reports describe his status as “out indefinitely,” meaning there is no firm public timetable; at best, his earliest possible return was discussed as Week 18, but even that was uncertain, and his rookie season has been widely described as likely over.

How it affects the Chiefs

• While Simmons is out, Wanya Morris is the primary replacement at left tackle, taking over protection of Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.

• Before the injury, Simmons was performing very well, allowing a very low pressure rate for a rookie tackle, so his absence is considered a major blow to the offensive line.

Earlier “personal matter” absence

• Earlier in the 2025 season, before the wrist injury, Simmons also missed practice and at least one game due to a “personal” or “not injury-related – personal” designation, and the team gave few public details at the time.

• That earlier situation has largely been overtaken by the later, clearly documented wrist injury as the main reason he is not playing now.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.