Undefeated Chiefs Place Starting Left Tackle Josh Simmons on IR With Bulging Disc

The unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs have taken another hit to their offensive line. The 5-0 Chiefs placed starting left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve on Thursday after his recovery from a bulging disc "plateaued," according to team vice president of sports medicine Rick Burkholder.

Simmons, 23, has missed the first five games of the season and will now sit out at least four more, making him eligible to return in Week 11 against the Cardinals on November 22. The team says no surgery is currently planned.

The problem surfaced back in August, when calf discomfort led to an MRI that revealed a bulging disc in his lower back — one that sits unusually high for a lineman. Simmons was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2025 draft and made eight starts as a rookie, but his second season has yet to begin.

In his absence, undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson has started all five games at left tackle for the league's last unbeaten team. Keeping the pocket clean for the NFL's highest-scoring offense remains the priority, and Burkholder's update suggests the Chiefs will give their young tackle all the time he needs before throwing him back into the fray.