The Kansas City Chiefs lost one of their stalwarts on the offensive line when Joe Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears earlier this year.
Kansas City used the final pick in this year’s NFL Draft to address its situation, selecting former Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons with that pick.
Although it’s only the preseason, the Chiefs should be pleased with their new tackle’s transition to the NFL.
PFF revealed how strong Simmons’ preseason performance has been thus far, noting the rookie has yet to allow a quarterback pressure.
Josh Simmons in his rookie preseason:
🛡️ 84.1 pass-blocking grade
🛡️ 26 pass-blocking snaps
🛡️ 0 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/1zLDV3XeAw
— PFF (@PFF) August 23, 2025
Additionally, Simmons has an 84.1 pass-blocking grade on the 26 pass attempts he’s played in three preseason games.
Those are the types of stats that the Chiefs were expecting him to produce, likely making him the starter for the AFC West squad.
He’ll be tasked with giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes time to operate in the pocket, allowing the star signal-caller to make plays for the Chiefs.
Kansas City has an extremely valuable opportunity with Simmons, thanks to taking him in the first round.
The Chiefs can keep Simmons at an affordable price for up to five seasons due to his rookie deal, allowing Kansas City to spend on other positions if the tackle can live up to his expectations.
Simmons will also have several years to learn from one of the top offensive tackles, as the Chiefs signed Trey Smith to a multi-year extension.
The move to trade Thuney provided Kansas City with the cap space to sign Smith to a long-term deal.
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