When the Kansas City Chiefs spent big money on left tackle Jaylon Moore and then utilized their 2025 first-round pick on Josh Simmons, the expectation was that the veteran free agent would act as a bridge to the injured rookie, but an unexpected development at OTAs has potentially altered that theory.
According to Arrowhead Pride beat reporter Pete Sweeney, “you could actually argue Simmons looked healthier than Moore” while the media were in attendance on June 4.
That’s fantastic news for the rookie first-rounder, but it’s also a concerning update on Moore.
“Something truly significant happened Wednesday,” Sweeney relayed after the practice. “Josh Simmons — less than eight months removed from patellar tendon surgery — participated in scrimmage periods. And his position coach shared that he came out of the workout in good shape.”
On the flip side, here’s what Sweeney had to say about Moore.
“The timing was notable: on the same day, veteran Jaylon Moore did not practice, instead watching from the sidelines without a helmet while wearing a compression device on his left leg,” he wrote.
Adding: “For a long time, many of us have assumed Moore would be the Day 1 starter at left tackle as Simmons builds strength. But for at least a day, you could actually argue Simmons looked healthier than Moore.”
Sweeney concluded that the battle at left tackle — and potentially right tackle too, as a byproduct — “just got a bit more interesting.”
Chiefs Just Need Someone to Be Healthy at Left & Right Tackle
During his original notes from Chiefs OTAs on June 4, Sweeney reported that right tackle Jawaan Taylor was wearing a “compression sleeve,” along with Moore.
Despite some inconsistencies on the field, particularly in the penalty department, Taylor has been an iron man since signing with the Chiefs. And before that, too, for that matter.
Since entering the league in 2019, Taylor has never started fewer than 16 games in an NFL season. With Kansas City, he started 17 games in 2023 and another 16 in 2024.
The only start he missed last year was in Week 18, and it was a rest situation, not an injury.
At the end of the day, the Chiefs just need two out of these three offensive tackles to be healthy and available come Week 1. If all three are ready to go, then you can decide which two you want to try out first.
In all likelihood, Taylor will start at right tackle, assuming health. But the left tackle job could be more of an open competition than we initially thought.
Chiefs OL Coach Andy Heck Praises Josh Simmons’ Explosive Nature at OTAs
As Sweeney mentioned, Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck spoke with reporters after Wednesday’s practice, and he was very pleased with what he’s seen from Simmons so far.
“[Simmons] came out of [practice] really well,” Heck began. “The first thing you can see is his explosive nature. Everything he does is super quick, so we’re working on fine-tuning techniques.”
“He’s able to do individual work within certain limits,” the positional coach went on to explain. “As we hone in on the techniques, we don’t want to take away from his athleticism. That’s one of his A-plus strengths.”
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy made a similar observation on June 4.
“You can see athleticism [and] recovery if he gets beat,” Nagy said, regarding Simmons. “You talk to his coaches that he has, and you just listen to the want that the kid has. Obviously, he had the injury, so it dropped him a little bit, but I’ve really been impressed with his professionalism since he’s been in this building.”
“He’s really locked in,” the Chiefs OC concluded. “[Simmons is] doing everything he can do up to what he’s allowed to do with the injury, and so that’s all he can do.”
