Kansas City’s offensive line depth faces a critical test as back specialist evaluations leave the star tackle’s return timeline uncertain following a dominant season-opening victory.
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 at Arrowhead.
The Chiefs blew out the Denver Broncos, 31-10, on Monday Night Football as free agent acquisition Kenneth Walker III made a huge statement with 173 yards in his Kansas City debut.
To make it even more impressive, the Chiefs played without young left tackle Josh Simmons, who didn't suit up due to an injury that hasn't been discussed much by the Chiefs.
It's been a bit of a mystery, and the team hasn't spoken much publicly about what is really going on with Simmons.
On Sunday, just hours before the kick against the Colts, it was reported that Simmons is week-to-week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Simmons is “week-to-week,” due to the back injury. He has gotten a second opinion from a back specialist. Simmons is in the facility on a daily basis, we’re told, getting rehab on the injury and attending meetings," Florio wrote.
The Chiefs had already ruled Simmons out for Week 2 on Friday, but this update gives a more murky timetable for him to return.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had said that there is no timetable for a return.
Instead, Reid added that the medical team would "go back and reevaluate" Simmons' injury.
All of that sounds very unclear, but Florio reporting week-to-week shows that the young offensive tackle could miss one or two more weeks. If Simmons was placed on IR, he would be out for a minimum of four games, so Kansas City not making that decision suggests there is hope for him returning in the next couple of weeks.
In Week 1, undrafted offensive tackle Kahlil Benson got the start in Simmons' place, and he played incredibly well in a prove-it game.
If Benson plays well again, it might not be a massive rush for the Chiefs to bring Simmons back until he's fully healthy.
As far as Kansas City's other injuries go, defensive back Chamarri Conner was also ruled out on Friday with a knee injury. Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, the team's first-round pick, was listed as questionable.
Right now, plenty of questions loom about Simmons' injury, and there might not be any sort of clear timeframe or answer from the team anytime soon until the trainers and medical staff takes another look at his injury.
