Chiefs Reveal Early Training Camp Plan for Rookie OT Josh Simmons

As the NFL summer shifts from inactivity to preparation, teams like the Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for potential Super Bowl runs. The 2025-26 season will be here before anyone knows it, and training camp is a perfect opportunity to get a glimpse at what a roster could look like in the fall.

For the reigning AFC champions, one position group is getting a lot of attention. For yet another offseason, the Chiefs’ offensive tackles are the talk of the town. This time around, it’s a mixed bag for Andy Reid’s crew. Jawaan Taylor is nursing a knee injury and while he’s “closer” to returning than others, he’s starting camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Where does that leave veteran Jaylon Moore and, perhaps more importantly in the eyes of fans, rookie Josh Simmons? Reid dove into it all on Sunday.

Chiefs Aiming for Consistency at Left Tackle in 2025

Many are campaigning for Simmons to get the starting job right out of the gate. Reid indicated that he’ll “flip” players like Moore and the rookie around the formation. In past camps, offensive line coach Andy Heck has worked his athletes at both tackle spots. Sometimes, swing tackles even get a bit of guard work for versatility purposes.

As he does every year, Reid played his cards close to his chest regarding Simmons and Moore. In either event, the future Hall of Fame head coach wants someone to stand out.

“You’ve got to look for the best guy, I mean, to start with, that can fill in that spot, (so) that we can have a little consistency there,” Reid said. “We didn’t have that last year and so let’s work at it and see what we come up with. We’ve got some good candidates for it, and you know, we’ll just see where it goes.”

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially after the year the Chiefs just had. Burning through Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris, D.J. Humphries and Joe Thuney all in one season is bound to drive any coach into a search for continuity.

Simmons Making a Solid Impression This Offseason

There’s no denying that Simmons is the more intriguing factor of he and Moore. Moore, after all, is a more known commodity and was signed to a two-year contract that was telling. It wasn’t clear starter-level money, instead making him a high-paid swing tackle at worst. Once Simmons fell to the Chiefs in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, the plan became clearer.

Simmons having a chance to start doesn’t seem like lip service anymore. At every step of the offseason program, he’s managed to make a nice impression. Now that he’s attempting to move past a knee injury in full capacity, that’s even more so the case. Reid is impressed by how he’s handled his first offseason as a pro.

“Listen, he stayed up here this whole break, he has been here and working his tail off, and so it looks like – and the way he finished phase three – but it looks like he is ready to go,” Reid said. “We’ll keep an eye on him and see where he is at but his conditioning was good when he was out there, and he seems to be a worker so we’ll just have to see. He’s never been through one of these. So we gotta see how it goes.”

The infamous Reid training camp is grueling. It separates the men from the boys. Simmons, albeit still just 22 years old, is hoping to prove to be the former. If not, Moore is one heck of an insurance policy to have as the competition heats up.