Kansas City Chiefs fans are finally getting answers about left tackle Josh Simmons’ injury absence. Simmons hasn’t participated in a practice since mid-August and has missed the first three games of the 2026 season with what can only be described as a mysterious back injury.

The Chiefs have not been straightforward about Simmons’ situation. That includes the exact injury, his return timeline, and more. With Simmons now approaching a fourth consecutive absence, Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided some clarity when he spoke to the media ahead of practice on Wednesday.

Reid addressed three key questions: what injury Simmons is rehabbing from, why he wasn’t placed on injured reserve, and whether surgery is an option.

Here’s what Reid had to say.

What is the exact injury that Kansas City Chiefs LT Josh Simmons is dealing with?

The mystery around Simmons’ absence has led to plenty of speculation about whether he is even injured. Reid has said Simmons has a back injury, and now we know exactly what it is. Terms like “swelling,” “disc,” and “back” have been floating around for weeks. According to Reid, Simmons has a bulging disc in his lower back. That injury has impacted the strength of one of his legs.

“Really, Josh (Simmons) is the only one, and he is making progress,” Reid said. “He’s had a bulging disc in his lower back, and it’s kind of hindered the strength of his leg. But he’s he’s working through it. He’s here every day, grinding away, and you know we didn’t have to make any roster moves, so we didn’t have to put him on IR or anything. So it all it’s all worked out good that way, but the positive is is making progress and getting stronger, which which is important with those backs, as we all kind of know. Backs can be a little tricky.”

Simmons won’t practice on Wednesday because of the back injury. However, Reid said Simmons has been grinding and making progress. He’s still not ready heading into Week 4, at least not at the start of the practice week. Even if Simmons gets some practice reps at some point this week, I’d expect the team to be cautious with the injury and the risk of re-aggravating it.

Why wasn’t Simmons placed on IR?

A big question Chiefs fans have is why Simmons wasn’t placed on injured reserve if he’s now set to miss four games. If you’re not familiar with the rule, players on injured reserve must miss at least four games before they can be designated to return to practice and activated to the 53-man roster. Placing Simmons on IR in Week 1 would have covered the exact stretch he’s missing. So what gives?

Reid seemed to indicate that Simmons didn’t progress as quickly as hoped, which could have let him return sooner. The team simply didn’t know. If Simmons could return before that four-week period ended, Kansas City didn’t want to limit itself by placing him on injured reserve.

“Yeah, the timeline,” Reid said. “That would be the other half of not putting him on IR. You never know with these things. So, and we just hang with it. The positive is that he’s here and he’s working. He’s getting better. I mean, the exams that he’s had, he’s making progress, which is the biggest positive of everything.”

The positive takeaway is that Reid continues to describe Simmons as getting better. He looks to be improving in a way that should allow him to return at some point this season. With a Week 5 bye coming up, a logical return point might be Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Is surgery an option for Chiefs LT Josh Simmons?

Reid was also asked whether the team had considered surgery or would consider it at any point. He seemed to believe surgery is off the table and that things are heading in the right direction for Simmons to eventually make his return. That said, Reid left room in case something changes.

“Right now, I think we’re heading in the right direction here, where that shouldn’t happen, ” Reid said. “But we’ll see. I mean, you know, we’ll see where where it all goes. I think we’re going to be, you know, knock on wood. We’re going to be in a good place here with time here.”

That’s an important distinction. The Chiefs aren’t ruling anything out entirely, but the current path is rehab rather than an operation. Hopefully, these explanations put the conspiracy theories to rest. They should also give Simmons breathing room to continue his recovery and return in a way that positively impacts this Kansas City team’s trajectory.