As a quarterback, you’re only as good as the guys around you. Sure, many of the league’s top signal-callers are able to pull off some magic no matter their surrounding players, but it makes a difference when the quarterback can really rely on his offensive line.
Heading into the new season, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes could see his stats skyrocket, thanks to a new guy in the Chiefs’ squad.
Mahomes was sacked 36 times in 2024, which was a career-high for him. That’s not the kind of career-high he wants to see. But, a newcomer could change that.
Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Could Make a Difference
The Kansas City Chiefs used their 2025 first-round pick to snag Josh Simmons, and they made it official on May 6, announcing that the team’s possible new franchise left tackle had signed his rookie contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news on X on May 4, stating, “Chiefs first-round pick Josh Simmons signed his four-year, fully-guaranteed contract worth $14,675,353, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus, Robert Bailey and Oliver Chell.”
In a May 23 feature for USA Today, Tyler Dragon names the top NFL breakout rookies for 2025 for each team. For the Chiefs, he smartly goes with Simmons.
“Patrick Mahomes was sacked a career-most 36 times in 2024, and he was sacked a career single-game high six times in a blowout Super Bowl 59 loss,” he states in the piece. “In response, the Chiefs signed left tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, franchise tagged guard Trey Smith, traded guard Joe Thuney, moved Kingsley Suamataia to guard and drafted Simmons.”
He added, “Simmons could be Kansas City’s potential long-term solution at left tackle. He allowed no sacks and just one pressure before a knee injury cut his final season short with the Buckeyes.”
New Chiefs Player’s Scouting Report
So, what are the Chiefs getting with Simmons? The NFL’s scouting report calls him “an athletic tackle prospect with adequate size and length, Simmons has experience starting on both sides.”
The report also notes that Simmons “suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-October, so his recovery and timetable for return will need to be vetted.” But, “He’s a consistently fluid mover both inside the box and when asked to play in space, and he has the slide quickness to compete against NFL edge speed.”
“He’s more positional than powerful in completing his run-blocking tasks, but he can fit into all schemes,” the scouting report adds.
Bleacher Report’s scouting report on Simmons is also glowing. Some of his positives include that he’s a “loose, fluid mover with excellent initial quickness, change of direction, balance and a sense of urgency to his play.” He also “shows impressive spatial awareness with a strong drag hand against games and stunts to work inside-out and in unison with his left guard to get things sorted.”
Simmons has “very good play strength on angle-drive blocks and rarely is shed clean due to loose hips to redirect when defenders are able to access his edges before running his feet and staying attached,” the report adds.
