Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons (71). Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Rookie OT's injury may have ended Chiefs' playoff hopes

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Nov 28, 2025 10:43 AM ET

Blindside protection has been a significant issue for most of Patrick Mahomes' tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs used a first-round pick to get OT Josh Simmons in the 2025 NFL Draft, and while he looked like the answer to their problems, he might not be there to close out the season.

The rookie out of Ohio State suffered an injury in the 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. And with Kansas City falling to 6-6 for the season, this might be the last nail in the coffin.

Chiefs' Josh Simmons will be out indefinitely

#Chiefs LT Josh Simmons, who impressed against the #Cowboys before exiting with an injury, suffered a dislocated and fractured wrist, sources say. He left the stadium in a cast and is out indefinitely.

MRI tomorrow, then he’ll seek opinions on treatment options. pic.twitter.com/qESaUOKfoT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2025

Right tackle Jawaan Taylor also left the game with an elbow injury, leaving Mahomes with underperforming backups Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris at the position. Mahomes was forced to roll out of the collapsed pocket to extend plays over and over, and while he's one of the best in the league at doing that, it's just not sustainable.

Now, they will face some physical defenses in the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos without Mahomes' primary protector. Given how they've struggled with pre-snap penalties and with keeping the quarterback out of harm's way, this unfortunate injury may have ended their slim playoff chances.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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