In the face of adversity, Kansas City Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons is standing firm, determined not to let a tough game define his future. After a challenging performance in his return to the starting lineup, Simmons made it clear: this is just the beginning. His promise? To come back stronger and lead his team to victory.
After spending several weeks sidelined, Simmons faced the daunting task of protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes against one of the league’s most formidable defenses. Despite the tough circumstances, including a few costly penalties and pressures allowed on Mahomes, Simmons took the challenge head-on. His response? A defiant declaration to the fans, the team, and his critics:
Simmons’ words were not just a promise, but a reflection of his mindset — one that has been forged in the heat of competition. As a rookie, every game is a learning experience, and Simmons knows that his journey is far from over. After all, his road to the NFL was filled with setbacks and hard work, and this moment is just another step in his relentless pursuit of greatness.
While his return was far from perfect, the 22-year-old offensive lineman proved he has the grit and determination to bounce back. Against an intense pass rush, Simmons allowed only four pressures — a statistic he is not happy with, but one he’s fully committed to improving. He also was flagged for three penalties, something that stood out as a setback, but Simmons is taking full accountability, learning, and striving for perfection moving forward.
Head coach Andy Reid was supportive of Simmons’ performance, offering his belief in the young tackle’s potential. “Some of it was just where he was physically. Some of it was, where are you mentally, can you handle … four weeks later what we’re doing?” Reid said. “He had a couple of penalties, but that was a pretty big assignment. I thought he did a respectable job there.” It’s clear that Simmons has the backing of his coaches, but it’s his own self-belief that fuels his drive to succeed.
The Kansas City Chiefs are in a critical point of their season, and every player needs to step up, including the offensive line. With a tough schedule ahead, Simmons’ commitment to improving, pushing forward, and continuing to rise with the team will be vital. Chiefs fans are hopeful that Simmons’ return to form will be one of the driving forces in propelling this team back into contention for another deep playoff run.
This season is far from over, and for Josh Simmons, the best is yet to come.
For the Packers, the end result of a 27-20 win over the Giants–no matter how unsightly the quality of play–is especially gratifying because of how close the season was to falling apart completely. That’s because, with 3:20 to play in the first quarter of the game, star quarterback Jordan Love took a particularly hard hit on a short run-scramble.
The hit came from Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles after a four-year jaunt, a play on which Love made no attempt to slide. It was a legal whack from Flannigan-Fowles but it was clear from the moment Love went down that he was injured. He scurried to the medical tent on the sideline, replaced by backup Malik Willis.
For coach Matt LaFleur, the good news is that Love is coping well now that the team is back in Green Bay. “He’s doing good. Obviously, he’s definitely sore,” LaFleur said.
Seeing Love take that kind of hit in service of a four-yard pickup, though, warranted a stern rebuke from LaFleur.
Here’s how the coach saw the play, which was essentially the equivalent of the Packers’ 2025 flashing before his eyes.
“I mean, that was a pretty big hit, one of those that you just say, ‘C’mon, man. You can’t put yourself in those situations,’” LaFleur said with a laugh.
Love, despite the injury, came back and led the Packers to a gritty victory. “I thought he played his (expletive) off yesterday, I really did,” LaFleur said. “I thought he was throwing accurately. He showed a ton of toughness in the pocket. I mean, there were multiple times he was getting hit pretty good in the pocket and he was making throws.
“I was really proud of his ability to come back in the game and just show that, not only physical toughness but the mental toughness to keep fighting.”
The question for LaFleur and other Packers coaches, though, was what the team should–and even could–do to rein in Love in those situations. It was clear that Love thought he had some room to break open a longer run on the play.
“It’s one of those deals where, things happen pretty quickly out there. I think he, as he was scrambling, he did a little pump fake and actually got the guy to leave his feet a little bit,” LaFleur said.
“I don’t know if he thought he is a little more elusive than what he really is, and thought he could get around him or not. Obviously, it didn’t work out. I do think it is a fine line in how you coach a guy in those situations because there is a lot more feel to it, because things happen so quickly.”
In Love’s place, of course, backup quarterback Malik Willis finished the Packers drive with a touchdown. Willis had not played since Week 3 of the 2024 season, but looked like he had gathered no moss.
Said LaFleur: “I can’t say enough great things about Malik. We don’t win that game without Malik. He’s a great competitor and he is so calm, I mean, just, he was in there on some critical situations. We had third downs, we called a zone read and he uses his legs, which was kind of—when your starting quarterback is out and you have your backup in there, and you call the zone read, you’re a little concerned about that because you can’t have anything happen to him.
“But he made a lot of plays in the game.