KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Josh Simmons is expected to return to the practice field Wednesday as the Chiefs return from their bye week and prepare for a critical AFC West matchup at the Denver Broncos, but coach Andy Reid didn’t tip his hand Monday whether the 22-year-old left tackle would step back in the saddle immediately after a four-game absence.
“What we’ll do is just see where we’re at here,” Reid said during his Monday press conference via Zoom. “We know we’ve got a good player in there now, and we know what Josh is capable of and all that. So we’ll just see where we’re at when they get back.”
Simmons departed the club on Oct. 12, hours before the team’s Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions due to personal reasons, which the club also described as a family matter. He reported to the team’s training complex last week after the team’s 28-21 loss at Buffalo in Week 9. Most players and coaches had departed for the bye week at the time, which means most teammates won’t see him until Tuesday, when players are expected to return from their midseason break.
Reid said he feels the club’s players have handled Simmons’s absence well.
“Players always are concerned about other players’ well-being, that’s first of all,” Reid said. “But on the other hand, they also move forward, and they don’t necessarily look back. So they giddy up and go on what’s there today, and let’s, let’s go. And they go 100 miles an hour with that. But I would — so I think it’s a blend, you know, things, they don’t, they’re not dwelling on that, but they want to make sure he’s OK as a human being.”
Reid declined to elaborate on what kind of reception Simmons received upon his return last week or whether the club held workouts with the left tackle during the bye week.
“I’m not going to, no, I’m not going to get into all that,” Reid said. “I’m not telling you yes or no that he did, but I know he’s been working out for sure.”
The Chiefs were dealt more issues along the offensive line before the bye week. Jaylon Moore, who started the last four games in place of Simmons, was dealing with an illness entering the Buffalo game. Left guard Kingsley Suamataia briefly left the game, and right guard Trey Smith has been dealing with back spasms. Behind Morris, the Chiefs have practice squad tackles Chukwuebuka Godrick and Esa Pole, who recently returned to the team after his release by the New York Jets.
However, Reid reports Taylor was feeling “pretty good” before leaving during the bye week. “So I think we’ll probably by OK there,” Reid said.
If Simmons isn’t deemed ready to return as the team’s starting left tackle Sunday at Denver, Reid continued to express confidence in backup Moore.
“Jaylon, he’s done a nice job for us,” Reid said. “I think just asking him to jump in after the season’s been going for a couple of months here is, that’s a tough ask, especially against the D-lines we’re playing. But he’s done a respectful job.”
