Chiefs Josh Simmons Developments Called ‘Ominous’ in New Report
The mysterious absence of first-round draft pick Josh Simmons from the Kansas City Chiefs entered its sixth day on Friday, when head coach Andy Reid confirmed that the 22-year-old rookie did not take part in practice again on Friday.
But Simmons’ Friday absence was only the latest in an alarming and puzzling series of developments that one reporter called “ominous” and “eerie for Simmons as a person.”
Bobby Burack, a journalist for the sports media site
Simmons Officially ‘Out’ vs. Raiders
The Chiefs announced later on Friday that Simmons would not play for the second consecutive week on Sunday when the Chiefs are scheduled to host the Las Vegas Raiders at at Arrowhead Stadium. On the Chiefs injury report, Simmons was the only player listed as “out” for Sunday’s game.
“Forget that he a superstar rookie protecting the best QB in the NFL, this timeline is eerie for Simmons as a person,” wrote Burack in a social media post on Wednesday. “And the fact that none of the reports have said what is going on adds another scary twist to it.”
According to Burack’s Outkick report published the following evening, the Chiefs appear to have violated or at least ignored their own internal procedures for handling the Simmons situation — with no real explanation as to why.
“It also appears that the standard communication process for a player missing a game was not followed,” wrote Burack. “If it had been, Mahomes and the coaching staff would have known before warm-ups that their starting left tackle was in another state.”
Simmons Returned to California: Report
Simmons, according to ESPN Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor, departed the team at an “extremely unusual” time on the day of the Lions game, and traveled to California. Simmons is a native of San Diego, and played his first season of college football at San Diego State before entering the transfer portal and arriving at Ohio State where he was part of the Buckeyes’ national championship squad last season.
According to other media reports, Simmons on the same day that he departed the Chiefs, deleted his Instagram account. But whether that move is related to the situation responsible for his absence also remains unknown.
Chiefs Give Shifting Reasons For Rookie’s Absence
The Chiefs have also given three different reasons for Simmons’ absence, first listing him as suffering from an unspecified “illness,” then subsequently describing Simmons’ situation as “personal,” but also as “a family matter.”
“Based on the team’s listing, it’s clear the issue is not a physical injury. However, the word ‘illness’ is vague — it could mean a physical ailment, a mental health struggle, or something else entirely,” Burack wrote in his
“The reports of a ‘family’ situation are equally unclear. We don’t know whether the issue involves a family member or if Simmons himself is going through something for which he feels he needs his family for support,” Burack continued.
“The tone surrounding the story has grown ominous. By all indications, Josh Simmons is facing something serious — serious enough to cause him to miss start(s) in the NFL, his quarterback to pray for him, and his team to say nothing publicly,” the
Also unclear, as noted by Burack, is how much Reid and the Chiefs organization itself knows about the reasons for Simmons’ departure from the team, or if the coach — or anyone else working for the Chiefs — has been in communication with Simmons since he, reportedly, returned to California.
Nor have the Chiefs given any indication of a timeline for Simmons’ return. In a radio interview Thursday, Taylor speculated that Simmons could be out until “a month from now,” but also left open the possibility that if the lineman cannot get “a chance to get back to normalcy,” he may not return at all.
Trevon Diggs’ Recurring Injuries and Underperformance Could Spell the End of His Time with Cowboys
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs lived up to his rising-star status as a second-round draft pick in 2020. He followed it up with a sensational second season, nabbing 11 interceptions to lead the NFL and earning first-team All-Pro honors in the process. His numbers dipped in 2022 as teams elected to not test him as often, yet he finished the season with his second straight Pro Bowl nod.
A massive $97 million contract extension came in 2023... and things have plummeted downhill ever since. But could the end of the road be just around this latest curve?
On Friday, the club declared him out of Week 7's divisional matchup with Washington due to his placement in the league's concussion protocol; that follows an at-home incident Thursday night.
While nothing more is known about what happened to Diggs, there's a general sense from Cowboys Nation that the star cornerback hasn't lived up to his contract and is quickly wearing out his welcome with his recurring unavailability.
Cowboys executive vice-president Stephen Jones had no comment on Diggs's concussion other than to tell 105.3 The Fan on Friday, "We certainly think [he'll be okay], but he's not going to play this weekend."
That's become a familiar refrain, as Diggs has been an increasingly frequent figure on the Cowboys' injury report over the past three seasons.
Even when Diggs has been back on the field, though, he's been barely a shadow of his former self.
Diggs tore his left ACL during practice on Sept. 21 of the 2023 season, after only two games. Since that date, he's appeared in just 17 out of the Cowboys' 39 contests (including playoffs), or 43.5%. And over those 17 games- the equivalent of one regular season- Diggs has exactly two interceptions and 11 passes defended, allowing opposing quarterbacks a completion percentage when targeted of 62%.
If the cornerback posting those numbers were named something other than Trevon Diggs, he likely wouldn't be starting... and he certainly wouldn't be making a very strong case for being the fourth-highest-paid guy (in cap hit) on the current roster.
Diggs is already seemingly on thin ice with the club. Fans will recall that the 27-year-old was docked $500,000 this summer for not meeting workout clauses in his contract, much to the very public chagrin of ownership. Diggs chose to train away from the team after complaints about his previous rehab efforts in 2023, which some inside the building suggested were half-hearted at best and a contributing factor to his subsequent 2024 knee injury.
And now this.
As Cowboys Wire pointed out in August, Diggs's guaranteed money runs out this season. And with myriad defensive issues that would seem to make a postseason berth a long shot for the current squad, the writing could be on the wall for Diggs's time in Dallas.
The league's Nov. 4 trade deadline could even have him in the express lane out of town if owner Jerry Jones happens to locate a willing trade partner before that date. The dealing of Diggs's best friend Micah Parsons already brought the Cowboys two first-round selections prior to opening night; if Jones can spin Diggs's surprise absence as even partly to blame for a 2-4-1 start and take a scintilla of the heat off his (apparently) hand-picked defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, the fire sale could be on in Big D, and Diggs could be the first blue light special.
Such a move might even be hastened if second-year man Caelen Carson looks good in his expected return from injured reserve this week against Washington. Stephen Jones revealed that move was slated to occur even before news broke about Diggs's latest inactive stint.
