Andy Reid finally sheds light on Kansas City Chiefs star Josh Simmons' mysterious absence, with the head coach giving reporters and fans more insight into what has been going on
04:35 ET, 24 Oct 2025
Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs talks with an official during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders in the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri
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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke on Josh Simmons' prolonged absence(Image: Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Andy Reid has given another update on Josh Simmons as the star continues to miss games this season, as the team remains mum on his situation.
Simmons has missed the last handful of weeks with no concrete reason as to why the star has been absent. When pressed by reporters on the 22-year-old's status, Reid, Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes and others have remained quiet on Simmons' situation.
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Now, the head coach has given another update on his player. Judging by Reid's comments, it would appear that the situation with Simmons is trending in the right direction. "And then Josh, in my update for you, Josh will just be, you know, there's communication," Reid told reporters during Thursday's media availability period.
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"I'm not going to get into all of it. Everything's positive, it's not a negative situation, so he's taking care of it."
When asked to follow up on those aforementioned comments, Reid stated that Kansas City's focus lies solely on the task at hand, which is beating the Washington Commanders.
"It's been positive. You know, you just take care of business. That's the main thing right here. You deal with this, that's what you do. And you've been very good about communicating," he concluded.
Josh Simmons #71 of the Kansas City Chiefs stands on the team sideline in the second quarter during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri
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Josh Simmons' absence has been addressed by Andy Reid(Image: Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
The latest update comes after fans became concerned about the nature of Simmons' absence following Reid's earlier comments. After the star was ruled out for the Chiefs' matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, Reid noted: “As far as Josh goes, I don't have any updates for you. (Brett) Veach is handling everything there and so just move on with that. Alright?”
What's more, Mahomes offered a statement, though he did not delve into too many details, leading many to ponder what the star meant with his comments. “I didn’t fully know, obviously, we had a walk-through around noon or 1 pm, and he wasn’t there, so I knew something was up,” the star said initially.
“I'll keep conversations kind of between us. But I'm always praying for him and I'll keep everything else kind of private to us.”
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Even Chiefs owner Clark Hunt couldn't share too much about Simmons' absence. When pressed by reporters during that NFL owners' meeting in New York, Hunt replied simply to those pondering why the star was not playing and where he had been the last handful of weeks.
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"I really can’t comment,” Hunt answered.
Simmons was drafted No. 32 overall by the Chiefs in the 2025 NFL Draft and started the first five games of the season. Kansas City originally held the 31st pick but traded for the 32nd selection and a fifth-round pick, the 164th, in the draft.
Before being drafted by Kansas City, Simmons spent his first two collegiate years at San Diego State. Ahead of the 2023 season, the offensive tackle transferred to Ohio State, finishing out his collegiate career as a member of the Buckeyes.