Former Ohio State star recieves one of the wildest compliments you’ll ever hear from his NFL teammate
Josh Simmons was a star along the offensive line by his second season at Ohio State. Now, entering his second season in the NFL he’s received quite the compliment from his Kansas City Chiefs teammate.
Former Ohio State Buckeyes offensive tackle Josh Simmons is turning heads at Kansas City Chiefs training camp as he enters his second NFL season. Simmons, a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is drawing high praise from teammates after transforming his body during the offseason. The former Buckeye left tackle played just 8 games as a rookie before a wrist injury ended his season, but early returns at camp suggest he could be ready for a breakout year protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.
Josh Simmons’ path from Ohio State to Kansas City
Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season didn’t come without adversity. Just six games into the year, the Buckeyes lost their starting left tackle to an injury that derailed his final season in Columbus. Simmons was a cornerstone piece for Ohio State’s offensive line. Even with the limited action, he was still selected by the Chiefs with the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
His rookie season didn’t go as planned either. A wrist injury knocked him out from December on, and he finished the year with just 8 games and 8 starts. Now Simmons is back for his second season with a full offseason to strengthen his body and better prepare for the NFL grind. By all accounts, he has done exactly that. Simmons is weighing in at around 300 pounds, but he is lean and there isn’t much fat on his frame. He is built like a brick house.
Chiefs DE George Karlaftis had high praise for the former Buckeye
Early in training camp, teammate and defensive end George Karlaftis offered a strong quote about Simmons that shows the former Buckeye could soon be entering the conversation as a quality NFL starter.
“Josh (Simmons) is a great player,” Karlaftis stated on Monday. “You know, obviously had a great season last year, so that was out a few games and stuff like that. But you know, he’s a great player. You know, obviously, he’s strong as an Ox, and he’s got feet like a Ballerina. So you know, he’s very good and very talented. We’ve had our battles, and you know, we’ve talked, and iron sharpens iron. So, this is what this period is for us: getting better.”
That description of Simmons as “strong as an ox” with “feet like a ballerina” is one of the wilder ways you’ll ever hear an offensive lineman described, but it’s far from a bad thing. It means Simmons is strong enough to block anyone he needs to, and his footwork is excellent enough to get to his spots on the left side of the offensive line.
Josh Simmons enters a critical year in Kansas City
Simmons played in 19 games during his time at Ohio State, 13 as a junior and six as a senior. Despite the limited action as a senior, he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from coaches because everyone knew how talented he was even in a small sample.
Now the former Buckeye is entering a critical year where he needs to show he can stay healthy. Kansas City will try to bounce back after missing the playoffs a year ago, and having Simmons anchoring the left side of the offensive line for a full season could be a key factor in that push.
Time will tell if Simmons can put it all together and stay on the field for 17 games, but the early reviews from training camp are encouraging. If Karlaftis’ praise is any indication, the Chiefs may have a building block at left tackle for years to come.
