Chiefs Crowd

The Chiefs’ left-tackle question did not begin with Sunday’s trip to Seattle, and it will not end there. Kansas City placed Josh Simmons on injured reserve Thursday, turning a week-to-week hope into a longer stretch without the player it drafted to anchor Patrick Mahomes’ blind side. Simmons must miss at least four more games. For Chiefs fans, the bigger question now is how the offensive line settles in while his return remains uncertain.

Waiting is no longer the plan

Simmons has not played in the Chiefs’ first five games this season. He returned to limited practice last week, but team trainer Rick Burkholder said his recovery from a lower-back disc injury had plateaued. Burkholder said surgery was not currently planned. That is an important distinction: injured reserve sets a minimum absence, not a date when Simmons will be ready to start again.

Until now, Kansas City could approach each week with the possibility that Simmons might soon reclaim the job. The IR move removes that possibility for the next four games. It gives the coaches a clearer runway to build continuity with Kahlil Benson at left tackle, rather than preparing for a change that may or may not happen the following Sunday. It also makes the reserve options behind him more consequential. One injury or difficult matchup could force another adjustment before Simmons is eligible to return.

Benson needs room to grow—and a fair evaluation

Benson, an undrafted rookie, has started in Simmons’ place through all five games. Keeping the same left tackle in the lineup offers a chance for his communication with the guard beside him and Mahomes to develop. It does not mean the Chiefs should treat five starts as proof that the position is settled. The next month will tell them more about how Benson handles different opponents, corrects mistakes and holds up as defenses gather more tape on him.

That is the practical balance for Kansas City. The offense cannot spend every week waiting for Simmons, but it should not write him out of its plans, either. He was a first-round pick in 2025 for a reason, and the club still needs to learn what he can provide when healthy. His current absence delays that answer; it does not supply one.

The longer view matters most

For fans, this is frustrating precisely because the Chiefs have already had to make the line work without Simmons. Injured reserve does not create a brand-new problem. It confirms that the existing one needs a durable response, with Benson given meaningful support and the staff prepared to adjust if the line’s performance demands it.

The sensible goal is not to declare the left-tackle job won or lost in October. It is to keep the offense functioning, learn what Benson can sustain, and give Simmons the time his recovery requires. Seattle is the next test. The decision Kansas City made Thursday reaches well beyond it.