KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs Coach Andy Reid disclosed more details regarding the ailing back of Josh Simmons, explaining an absence from practice reps that reached 44 days on Wednesday.
“He’s had a bulging disc in his lower back, and it’s kind of hindered the strength of his leg,” Reid said. “But he’s working through it.”
Reid also said the team doesn’t envision Simmons requiring surgery to repair the bulging disc.
“I think we’re heading the right direction here where that shouldn’t happen,” Reid said. “But we’ll see. I mean, you know, we’ll see where where it all goes. But I think we’re going to be, you know, knock on wood, we’re going to be in a good place here with time here.”
The last time Simmons appeared as an active participant in practice was Aug. 17 at training camp in St. Joseph. His last reps were with the third team on a day that injuries and illnesses left the club shorthanded with only four healthy tackles at the end of practice. The next day, Simmons was on the sidelines doing strengthening exercises designed to help with his back pain.
Simmons then visited with back and spine specialist Robert Watkins in Los Angeles the following week for a second opinion, which concurred with the original diagnosis. The original outlook hoped that Simmons would return to the field sooner rather than later. The Chiefs opted not to play Simmons on injured reserve, which would have required him to miss the first four games of the season. Reid underscored that Simmons has remained with the team while undergoing rehab for his back.
“He’s here every day, grinding away, and you know we didn’t have to make any roster moves, so we didn’t have to put him on IR or anything,” Reid said. “So it’s all worked out good that way.”
Earlier this month, Reid specified that a spot in the lower back of Simmons had flared up and the club was waiting until it calmed down and the swelling reduced. The symptoms the club has reported are all consistent with a bulging disc, according to experts consulted by Chiefs Digest.
Back issues for linemen are also notorious for being unpredictable and for symptoms to be worse than test results would suggest.
“But the positive is he is making progress and getting stronger, which is important with those backs, as we all kind of know, backs can be a little tricky,” Reid said.
Despite an absence from the playing field approaching seven weeks, however, there is still no definite timeline for the return of Simmons to his spot at left tackle.
“The timeline, that would be the other half of not putting him on IR, you never know with these things,” Reid said. “So, we just take (that) the positive is that he’s here and he’s working, he’s getting better. I mean, the exams that he’s had, he’s making progress, which is the biggest positive of everything.”
