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Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy of the Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have brought at least some degree of clarity, however slight, to the situation around absent rookie offensive lineman Josh Simmons in recent days. Last week, coach Andy Reid confirmed that the team had been in communication with the 2025 first-round draft pick whose largely unexplained absence has now reached 18 days.

On Thursday, the Chiefs gave their first public signal that they may be losing patience with the 22-year-old’s prolonged personal leave when offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was asked about Simmons’ role in the team’s offense when he finally does return.

Reid last week said that Simmons was “taking care of family,” and that “everything’s positive. It’s not a negative situation.”

Week 11 vs. Broncos Possibly Targeted

Negative or not, Simmons appears certain to miss his fourth game in a row when the Chiefs travel to Orchard Park, New York, to face their arch-rivals, the Buffalo Bills, in a nationally televised showdown Sunday afternoon.

There has been no date specified, at least not publicly, for Simmons to rejoin the Chiefs. Media reports have speculated that the former Ohio State star lineman, who was selected by Kansas City with the 32nd overall pick in this year’s draft, would be back in the red and white during the Chiefs’ bye week, which falls immediately after the Bills game in Week 9.

That would put Simmons’ return to game action in Week 11, November 16, when Kansas City visits the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. If Simmons is going to miss the Bills game as now seems apparent, the clash against Denver would be an opportune time for the lineman to resume his maiden NFL campaign.

Together, the Bills and Broncos clashes form a pivotal section of the Chiefs’ season that could determine their playoff seeding, or even if they make the playoffs at all.

Simmons May Lose Job By Absence

But according to Nagy, when Simmons returns he may not even have his starting job at left tackle, protecting future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.

“Nagy says he hasn’t considered who will start at left tackle when Josh Simmons returns,” wrote Chiefs Digest reporter Matt Derrick, after attending Nagy’s press briefing on Thursday. “He complimented Jaylon Moore for his consistency and his ability to rise to the challenge, but defers to Andy Reid and Brett Veach on choosing the starter.”

Moore, who signed a two-year, $30 million free agent contract with Kansas City in March, has shown decline in his performance ratings as determined by Pro Football Focus each week he has filled in for Simmons. Nonetheless, he has done a solid job subbing for the standout rookie.

Moore Could Assume Starting Role

“Moore has been a godsend to the Chiefs during LT Josh Simmons’ absence, but he hasn’t been flawless,” wrote Charles Goodman of AtoZ Sports on Wednesday. “He allowed just as many pressures and sacks in Week 8 against the Commanders as he did in each of the two weeks prior combined.”

Jovan Alford of the KC Kingdom site agreed, and noted that Nagy may have been sending a message to Simmons with his non-committal remarks.

“When Simmons does ultimately return, he would’ve missed at least four games, which includes this week’s contest against the Buffalo Bills,” Alford wrote on Thursday.

“It’s tough to say a player should lose their job, especially when it wasn’t involving an injury. But maybe this is Nagy’s way of giving the youngster a heads-up to hurry back soon, as we’re about to enter the second-half push,” the KC Kingdom scribe speculated.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin

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