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Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; General view as the Kansas City Chiefs offense lines up against the Philadelphia Eagles defense in the first quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chiefs Left Tackle: 2 Specific Areas Key to Development

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Zak Gilbert | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 12:30 PM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rookie Josh Simmons got a different kind of welcome-to-the-NFL moment this month. Welcome to the NFL preseason, where unlike college, starters are caught in a Twilight Zone between playing and playing enough.

Asked Monday whether he’s played enough in the first two preseason games, the Chiefs’ left tackle was definitive.

“I absolutely want more,” he said, pointing out he had only one 10-play drive at Seattle Friday.

It was over before he knew it, literally.

“I was just like, ‘No way.’ Because you get warmed up and just like … ‘Yeah, you're done.’ … Oh, okay?”

Best ability is availability

Andy Reid knows he’ll need Simmons for up to 21 games – 17 in the regular-season and potentially four in the playoffs – so he’s obviously taking the cautious approach. Plus, Simmons is returning from season-ending patellar tendon surgery that truncated his Ohio State career, allowing him to fall to the Chiefs at the end of the first round.

“Now listen,” Reid said Monday, “I like the way he's approached it. He's worked at it. He hasn't missed a beat here, as far as missing a day or any of that, so he's been available.

“So, I like where we're at right now, but we got to keep going. He's a young guy, but he's been working his tail off.”

Not tipping off defenses with stance

Simmons is working his tail in a specific area ahead of his first official NFL game: His stance. Defenses can sometimes key on what’s coming – run or pass – based on looking at the feet of offensive linemen. If their weight is on the back of their feet, it’s likely a pass. If their weight is angled forward, it’s likely a run.

“It’s tipping a lot of defenses,” Simmons said Monday, “me just kind of kicking my foot back there early. … So, it’s been something that I've been working on a lot. Just kind of square it up and be more universal with my stance. That way, defenses aren't, ‘Oh, it's pass. It's pass.’”

Blue 80

And when the Chiefs do call a pass, Simmons said he’s already reached an important preseason landmark, successfully timing his leg kick with the cadence of Patrick Mahomes. Offensive linemen aren’t allowed to move until Mahomes verbally tells the center to snap the ball. And critical in keeping the quarterback clean is getting a split-second jump on outside linebackers significantly faster than those in college.

Nine-time Pro Bowler Khalil Mack is ready to baptize Simmons with some serious fire when the Chiefs open the season in Brazil against the Chargers Sept. 5. Simmons said mastering that cadence boosted his confidence, and he’s not taking it for granted.

“The cadence, the way you got to be on time with that, because these speed rushers are extremely athletic,” Simmons explained.

“So, you got to get off, even if you got to go with the cadence, literally time it up perfectly. But you can't be late.”

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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