Josh Simmons is having an unlucky season with the Kansas City Chiefs, despite the team having much success. The franchise has won all five games it has played so far, and is yet to lose a game. They are showing serious signs of contending for the Super Bowl.
However, Simmons has not been a part of the team’ success. He has missed the entire season so far due to injury issues. One former player believes that it should not be an excuse.
Ex-Chiefs player tells Josh Simmons to play through pain
Simmons was drafted back in 2025 as a first round pick, but has not had an easy time since then. After missing many weeks of action in his rookie season, the left tackle was placed on injured reserve on October 22, 2026, after his recovery from a bulging herniated disk in the lumbar spine plateaued.
Previously, Chiefs legend and former left tackle Willie Roaf felt that the player should be playing, even if he is suffering from pain. Speaking on the Arrowhead Allies podcast, he said, “If it’s pain, then you got to be able to play through it. I mean, it’s the NFL. If we got to worry about you being in and out of the lineup, and your mental stability, it’s a different league with the mental part of this. These kids get to transfer in college; that’s not how the pros work.”
He added, “These guys are used to a little more pampering going on. You’re going to have to grow up and understand that you’re a professional athlete. You have a responsibility to be ready to play every week.”
However, the player’s issue has not improved significantly, and the team has preferred to let the player to recover through rehabilitation instead of surgery. One person has talked in detail on the situation.
Update on Josh Simmons’ back issue
According to Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder, Simmons first reported calf discomfort on August 17, 2026, during training camp in the same leg that required patellar tendon surgery in 2024 while at Ohio State. Team physicians correctly identified a lower-back issue rather than a leg or knee problem, an MRI confirmed a bulging herniated disk located higher in the spine than is typical for offensive linemen. This issue has complicated treatment.
Burkholder said, “That disk problem was higher up than what we normally see in most of our offensive linemen, which complicated the case. The repeat MRI, a few weeks later, showed that the disk had improved, so no surgery was recommended. Josh worked his tail off. He worked diligently with my staff every day. However, we feel he has plateaued in the rehab process. He’s just not there yet.”
He added, “I give a lot of credit to Josh, my physicians and my staff for navigating through this injury to the point where surgery is not recommended. He just needs more time to return to full function.”
Josh Simmons will miss at least the next four games and becomes eligible to return in Week 11.
More NFL News:
- Kansas City Chiefs: Reveal Week 6 Fate of Josh Simmons
- Chiefs Projected To Bench $30M Veteran While Undrafted Rookie Protects Patrick Mahomes
- Chiefs Face Offensive Line Concerns as Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore Deal With Injuries
- Undrafted Free Agent Tasked With Protecting Patrick Mahomes’ Blind Side in Return
The post Chiefs’ Josh Simmons Receives Blunt ‘Play Through Pain’ Advice From Franchise Legend appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.