'I think that's a fair comparison just off the intangibles alone' — Chiefs DE George Karlaftis adds more fuel to the Josh Simmons fire

The hype for Kansas City Chiefs rookie LT Josh Simmons continues to grow ahead of 2025 training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri.

On a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, former Philadelphia Eagles C Jason Kelce likened Simmons to four-time All-Pro Trent Williams and six-time All-Pro Jason Peters. Those comments, combined with Travis Kelce and Trey Smith's responses, got the fan base even more energized about the possibilities with their 2025 first-round draft pick.

As it turns out, that was only the beginning of the hype train. Now, Chiefs DE George Karlaftis, who has practiced against Simmons, is validating Kelce's comparison. 

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis agrees with Jason Kelce's comparison for rookie LT Josh Simmons

Speaking on an episode of FS1's Speak with Joy Taylor, Will Blackmon, and Paul Pierce, Chiefs DE George Karlaftis provided some insight on the rookie first-round draft pick. He spoke about Jason Kelce's comparison and didn't feel it was unfair to make such a comparison based solely on physical traits. 

"Jason (Kelce) knows what he's talking about when he's talking about alignment, right? But, you know, there's definitely a lot of shades (of Trent Williams) there," Karlaftis said of the comparison. "Just with the athleticism alone, his size, I think that's a fair comparison, just off the intangibles alone, you know."

Karlaftis wasn't willing to go as far as to say that Simmons is the next Trent Williams or Jason Peters, but he can understand how Kelce got there based on the traits. He also believes the rookie possesses the work ethic to reach his full potential. 

"Let's see how he develops," Karlaftis said of Simmons. "I think he has all the tools, the intangibles, and the work ethic to be as great as he wants to be. Yeah, it's all about putting in the work at the end of the day. So, I would agree with Jason (Kelce's) comparison, for sure."

Chiefs fans, of course, are hopeful that Simmons can eventually become a long-term solution at a position that has caused the team problems in recent years. Even average tackle play at that spot would be a marked upgrade over what they had a season ago, but clearly he has a high ceiling. 

Simmons fell to Kansas City in the draft in part due to a knee injury, but he's made great strides to this point in the offseason. He's expected to be ready to participate fully in practices at training camp, where he'll have the opportunity to prove further that he's the right man for the job and write his own legacy in the league.