Chiefs OC Matt Nagy praises progress of rookie player who could face the biggest challenge of his young career vs. Lions
Josh Simmons has held up very well against tough competition so far this season.
Offensive tackle Josh Simmons was one of the most intriguing players on the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster heading into the 2025 season.
Simmons fell to Kansas City at No. 31 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft due to a knee injury. The unknown timeline of his recovery caused him to slide down to the end of the first round, but he proved the doubters wrong and was ready to go by training camp.
Simmons is now five games into his career, and is off to a promising start. Last week’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars was arguably his best performance yet, per the folks over at Pro Football Focus.
Chiefs OC Matt Nagy praises the progress Josh Simmons has made
“I like where he’s at,” Nagy said of Simmons while speaking to the media on Thursday. “I think he’s in a good place. As a rookie, you want to be able to have somebody that’s growing, and he’s doing that right now. [I’m] impressed with how he practices.
“I go back to our thoughts in training camp, we said there’s going to be a couple plays here and there where it’s a big play, but you don’t want it to be a game-changing play. He’s done a really good job. I think this last game here was one of his better games. We want to continue to have him keep improving, and I like where he’s at.”
PFF also has Simmons ranked 24th out of 112 offensive tackles in pass blocking. He has surrendered just one sack so far this season, and is among the best in the NFL when left blocking on an island (no help by a guard, running back, or tight end).
Simmons may face his toughest challenge yet against Detroit Lions’ defense in Week 6
As the Chiefs host the Lions on Sunday night, Simmons will face a ferocious Detroit pass rush that ranks second in the NFL in sacks with 16. That group is led by Aidan Hutchinson, who is one of the best edge rushers in the league. Hutchinson already has five sacks, 14 quarterback pressures, and 12 QB hits this season.
It will be interesting to see how often Hutchinson lines up across from Simmons. It will be a great test for Simmons, who has already gone up against some of the best defensive lines there are to begin his career. If he holds his own against Hutchinson, Simmons will be able to contain any pass rusher in the league.
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