ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach arrived at the team's training facility in Kansas City on Thursday morning to work for a few hours. Although it was one of the precious days off for the team -- the day players get a break from coach Andy Reid's grueling training camp practices -- he noticed one car in the parking lot.
"It's Josh Simmons' car," Veach said while smiling Friday. "I was like, 'Wow.' It's a credit to him for the way he's attacked this thing."
Simmons, the Chiefs' first-round pick, hasn't had a day off since the team acquired him in late April draft with the 32nd overall selection. When players had a month off to go on vacation before training camp, Simmons stayed in Kansas City to continue getting treatment on his left knee. Even though Simmons has been one of the Chiefs' most impressive players in training camp, he still spends a portion each day with either head trainer Rick Burkholder or his assistant, Julie Frymyer, getting maintenance-level work on the knee in which he tore the patellar tendon in October and was forced to miss the reminder of his final college season.
Such diligence from the rookie has led him to return to his top form sooner than Veach or Reid could've anticipated. Less than two weeks into camp, Simmons has earned the starting left tackle role, the lineman most in charge of protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes' blind side. Following Friday's practice, Reid acknowledged that Simmons will continue to receive all of the first-team reps.
"He's consistently showing up every day and working," Reid said of Simmons. "He's a worker, and he's willing to do it. You've got to keep on going. He's done a nice job."
Last season, the biggest issue on the Chiefs' roster was at left tackle. The team used four players -- Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris, D.J. Humphries and All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney -- at the position. The results impacted Mahomes, who was sacked a career-high six times in the Chiefs' blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX despite not facing a single blitz in the game; Mahomes also had a career-worst average of just 245 passing yards per game last season. Early this offseason, the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick, a move that cleared $16 million in salary cap space.
Simmons spent the offseason recovering from the injury.
"I'm more proactive with it than maybe most," Simmons said. "I knew I was putting in a lot of work at Ohio State with (trainer Adam Stewart). Then coming here and having Julie and Rick, I knew if I just showed up and put the work in, it was going to line up perfectly (with returning for camp)."
Prior to his injury last season, Simmons did not allow any pressures on 153 pass blocks. The Chiefs are eager to see if Simmons can be the player who finally solves their longstanding problem at left tackle.
"As we speak, I haven't felt any issues with it yet," Simmons said of his knee. "It's really nice to be playing football. It's therapy, so I'm glad to be back."
No matter when Simmons is on the practice fields -- in nine-on-seven periods, team periods or the one-on-one drills -- he has performed well against veteran defensive ends such as George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu.
In the one-on-one drill on the opening day in full pads, Simmons demonstrated his strength against bull rushes from Omenihu and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The next day, Simmons overwhelmed fellow rookie defensive end Ashton Gillotte, tossing him to the turf. When Danna attempted to use his bull rush in team periods against Simmons, the rookie stonewalled the six-year veteran. One of those repetitions ended with Mahomes finding tight end Travis Kelce in the middle of the field for a 13-yard touchdown.
"He's a hell of an athlete, man," Danna said Sunday of Simmons. "He has a bright future. He's physical, athletic and it's great to see him working with the ones. He's a tough competitor."
Tuesday was the Chiefs' most demanding practice of camp. The weather was stuffy, the temperature was 90 degrees, and the heat index peaked over 100 midway through the on-field work.
The heat and an increase of reps for the projected starters led to the camp's first skirmish. Simmons punched Gillotte after a rugged rep in the nine-on-seven period. Gillotte, who lost the rep, felt Simmons engaged him longer than he should have. Gillotte retaliated by shoving Simmons, which led to his punch. Gillotte responded by slapping Simmons before removing his helmet. A trio of teammates -- Kelce, linebacker Leo Chenal and cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace -- separated the two.
"The kid has come out here and shown a little attitude and swagger," Veach said of Simmons. "He's a gifted dude."
One of Simmons' biggest challenges is understanding just how complex the opposing defensive schemes can be in the NFL. Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs' longtime defensive coordinator, has done Simmons plenty of favors. The first-team defense has executed several schematic tactics to test Simmons, whether through blitzes, stunts from the defensive line or even a defensive end dropping into zone coverage.
On the first play in the first team period of camp, Spagnuolo had Omenihu, who lined up across from Simmons, drop into zone coverage. Simmons adjusted quickly and helped block Danna alongside Suamataia, the projected starting left guard.
"You'll never expect it, what he'll do out of a front," Simmons said of Spagnuolo. "He keeps me technically always on point."
Before and after each practice, Simmons is often with offensive line coach Andy Heck or Juan Castillo, a former NFL offensive line coach who is with the Chiefs as part of the league's Bill Walsh minority coaching fellowship. With only 35 days before his NFL debut, when the Chiefs face the Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil, Simmons is learning from Heck and Castillo to help him further perfect his pass-blocking techniques.
"They put a plethora of different pass sets and different hand movements into my toolbox," Simmons said. "It's the best resource any rookie can have; asking after a pass rush, 'What did I do wrong here and how can I fix it?' Then, going into the next rep, and making those corrections. It's amazing."
Such a moment occurred in Friday's practice. In a one-on-one drill, Danna used his quickness to evade Simmons' left hand to beat the rookie in a quick manner.
"I'm still working, still stacking bricks," Simmons said. "It's the funnest thing you can do, competing against George Karlaftis and Mike Danna. That competitive stamina just wipes all that kind of tiredness away."