The Kansas City Chiefs have been the standard in the AFC for the last seven seasons. As long as they have Patrick Mahomes under center, the Chiefs will be in contention for the Lombardi trophy.
The Chiefs crumbled on the biggest stage last season as the Philadelphia Eagles dismantled them in Super Bowl 59. One reason for their demise was the struggle of the offensive line.
The Chiefs drafted Ohio State OT Josh Simmons in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft to bolster their line. Simmons discussed how he plans to jump to the NFL and recover from his recent injury.
Josh Simmons Discusses Transition From College to NFL
Simmons has his work cut out to make the jump to the NFL. As a tackle from Ohio State, he has experience playing high-level football against some of the best collegiate programs with tough edge rushers. But the NFL is a different animal. Only some players make it to the NFL; only the toughest and most skillful survive.
Simmons knows it won’t be easy. Entering a situation where the expectation is perfection and the Super Bowl every year will make it even tougher. But he’s confident in his abilities and downplayed the jump required from Ohio State to the NFL with the Chiefs.
“It’s not that big of a jump, but it is a big jump…Guys know where to strike you and get you off balance…It’s a tick faster,” said Simmons.
Chiefs rookie LT Josh Simmons on playing at Ohio State and the competition level: “It’s not that big of a jump, but it is a big jump. . . Guys know where to strike you and get you off balance. . . It’s a tick faster.”
Says he’s looking forward to padded practices.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) June 17, 2025
Simmons is right. NFL players are faster, bigger, and stronger than most college athletes. It’s a different ballgame, and attention to detail becomes essential to success. Simmons is realistic in his judgment of the NFL’s difficulty.
He trusts in himself that it won’t be a massive jump while acknowledging that he can’t come in expecting the same challenges from college. Add in his injury recovery, and it might be a little harder of a jump, though.
Simmons was an integral part of the Ohio State offensive line before he suffered a patellar tendon injury in October. While he missed most of the collegiate season, Ohio State still won the national championship. This injury led to him sliding down the draft boards to the end of the first round, but his talent was too good to pass up for Kansas City.
He detailed his recovery from injury and the treatment he has received.
“This is kind of what I anticipated. What I worked for. I got my operation done by the platinum standard, and then I have the best in the business here,” said Simmons.
Chiefs rookie LT Josh Simmons on his rehab: “This is kind of what I anticipated. What I worked for. I got my operation done by the platinum standard, and then I have the best in the business here.”
He says he’s taking things day by day.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) June 17, 2025
It’s a slow process to return from a patellar tendon injury. Simmons has embraced the challenge and has been progressing through rehab. He is taking it day by day and is getting closer to returning to the field fully. The Chiefs need him healthy and ready to contribute to give them the offensive line help they need.
The Chiefs will need Simmons healthy for the end of the season, as that is when it matters most for them. Often, it looks as if they are coasting through the regular season until they turn it up in the playoffs. This is where their offensive line holes showed themselves, and Simmons will have to prove his worth. Keeping him healthy and taking it day by day is an important strategy to maximize his potential contribution to the team.
The Chiefs will be in the mix for the Super Bowl once again. Looking for revenge after losing the Super Bowl last season, they will be out for blood when they kick off their 2025 season. With a few different faces on the offensive line, Kansas City will have its eyes set on a hot start and another dominant regular season.
