The Kansas City Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid retake center stage as mandatory minicamps are starting across the NFL. They come into this season after getting blown out in the Super Bowl by the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the biggest storylines for the Chiefs has been the status of incoming rookie offensive tackle Josh Simmons. The Ohio State offensive tackle tore his patellar tendon last season in an October game against Oregon. When he would be ready immediately became a top storyline, and Simmons might be prepared quicker than expected.
The initial expectation was that he would be ready at the start of training camp. Still, in a recent press conference, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided an update on him. He shared that Simmons is participating in more offseason training, signaling that he could be ready even before training camp, per NBC Sports.
“We weren’t sure quite how much we were going to be able to get out of him, but he looks strong,” Reid said. “He’s been jumping in and taking the team reps, which he did the individual stuff before. And you can see the talent. He’s got to keep learning and learn the stuff that [offensive line coach] Andy [Heck] is teaching him — fundamentally, technique-wise. But he sure has a good attitude about it.”
Reid also said that the team does not want him to simultaneously exert too much energy on the offseason training program.
“He’s asked for more, and we’ve kind of kept backing him up here and easing him into it,” Reid said. “But you can tell he rehabbed and did a nice job with it. The people who did the surgery did a nice job with it. So, it looks like he’s in good shape. He’s here quite a bit. He’s one of those guys you must kick out of the building.”
The focus has ramped up on Simmons because left tackle was a significant weakness for the Chiefs last season. They used a rotating cast of players to fill the position before ultimately landing on All-Pro guard Joe Thuney as the most stable option. Thuney is now with the Chicago Bears, and the Chiefs need stability at the position again.
Simmons is a San Diego native and is a massive offensive line prospect at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds. If he gets healthier than expected, it would be an enormous factor for a Chiefs offense that needs to do everything possible to keep quarterback Patrick Mahomes healthy.
The post Andy Reid gives pleasantly surprising injury update on prized rookie appeared first on ClutchPoints.
