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Chiefs Will Be Without 3 Key Players On Sunday Night vs. Texans

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Dec 5, 2025 5:37 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs will be shorthanded on offense heading into a must-win game against the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

Earlier this week, Kansas City placed rookie left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve. He suffered a dislocated and fractured left wrist on Thanksgiving against the Dallas Cowboys. It's a crushing blow to their offensive line, make no mistake, but the Chiefs are hopeful he'll return later this season.

"We'll just see about the recovery on that, where it goes from there," Chiefs coach Andy Reid. "The kid loves to play. He's down about that part, but he's upbeat [because] the surgery went well, which was a real positive. He feels good about that. It's just a matter of coming back. He's a worker. Whatever he can do to rehab it, he's going to do it."

While the absence of Simmons shouldn't necessarily derail their season, the problem is he's not the only offensive lineman on the Chiefs expected to miss Week 14 due to injury.

On Friday, the Chiefs listed right tackle Jawaan Taylor and offensive guard Trey Smith as doubtful. If they're both ruled out, Patrick Mahomes will play behind a second-string offensive line.

Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) waits for the snap against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Chiefs currently have a 40.9% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Mahomes knows a loss this Sunday to the Texans is simply unacceptable.

“This is a really good football team that’s playing really good football right now and has a really good defense,” Mahomes said. “We’re going to have to throw it all out there and find a way to win. This will be a big game for us to showcase who we are and who we think we can be moving on the rest of the season.”

We can't wait to see how Mahomes handles Houston's ferocious defense, which is giving up just 16.5 points per game.

Kickoff for the Texans-Chiefs game is at 8:20 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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