Patrick Mahomes isn’t buying the idea that Josh Simmons is done for the season.
The Chiefs quarterback pushed back this week after an ESPN report said he and coach Andy Reid had asked the tackle to leave a team meeting last week. According to the report, Simmons - who is on injured reserve with a herniated disk - had his feet up in the meeting room and did not immediately follow Reid’s request to leave.
Mahomes addressed the situation Wednesday and made it clear he wasn’t letting it linger.
“Stuff like that really doesn’t bother me because I’m so, like, in the moment (with) this team. I think we’ve had the right conversations now. We’re moving in the right direction.”
Simmons later apologized and still has not played a snap this season.
The conversation didn’t stop there. In his weekly interview on 96.5 The Fan, Mahomes was asked about the growing belief among some fans that Simmons, the Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, might not suit up this year. Mahomes said he’s not close to that conclusion at all.
“I’m extremely confident because I’ve seen the work that he puts in,” Mahomes said in the 96.5 The Fan interview. “Obviously you have a back injury and those things are weird.
And I mean, I know when that back locks up, man, you can’t do a lot. And so he’s doing his rehab, he’s doing his work, and he’s doing everything he can to be back on that field.
And obviously, we’re not to that point yet.
“But he’ll have a couple weeks here now while he’s on IR where he can get himself back to the physical shape that he can be in, and then he’ll be able to step on that football field, and he’ll be mentally confident to go out there and be the best version of himself. And when he’s able to do that, he’ll be back on the football field because of how talented he is. And so it’s about getting him right physically and mentally to go out there and be the best version of Josh Simmons, which will help out the Kansas City Chiefs.”
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Chiefs Kicking Pressure Just Put Harrison Butker In The Spotlight
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The added pressure has only intensified since the Chiefs brought in Justin Tucker on the practice squad, giving the team another accomplished leg in the building and another voice in the mix. Both kickers have offered advice aimed at helping Butker sharpen things up, and for now the job still belongs to the player Kansas City trusts most when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Head To Denver With One Rivalry Concern Looming Largest
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Kansas Citys margin for error may come down to whether it can find steadier answers in the passing game and get more consistent disruption up front. The Chiefs have talent in the right places, but this trip to Denver comes with enough uncertainty to make it a real test of where they are right now, not just where the record says they should be. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Trade Buzz Builds Around A Familiar Fix At Receiver
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For the Chiefs, the fit is easy to understand. They know Brown, they know what he can do when healthy, and they have a history of turning to players who already understand the system. The question is whether Philadelphia decides to move him at all, and if it does, how much of a return it would take to make a deal worth doing for a receiver whose recent production has been muted. [Read more 🡒]