By Michael GallagherShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread following the team’s 31-28 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
At 6-6, the Chiefs sit in 10th place in the AFC — 3.5 games out of the division lead and 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot with the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers both in front of them in the standings.
And if that weren’t bad enough, Kansas City got some disheartening injury news after the game that will make quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ life even more difficult.
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According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, starting left tackle Josh Simmons, who exited Thursday’s game in the third quarter with a wrist injury, will likely miss some significant time.
“#Chiefs LT Josh Simmons, who impressed against the #Cowboys before exiting with an injury, suffered a dislocated and fractured wrist, sources say,” Rapoport wrote on X. “He left the stadium in a cast and is out indefinitely. MRI tomorrow, then he’ll seek opinions on treatment options.”
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Now, Mahomes, who's been sacked 27 times this season (just nine away from his career high), will likely have to play the rest of the season without his starting left tackle. To make matters worse, five of the Chiefs’ final five games are against the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.
Denver has the No. 3 defense and has the most sacks (49) in the NFL, Houston has the No. 1-ranked defense and the sixth-most sacks (33), and Los Angeles has the No. 5-ranked defense and 11th-most sacks (29) — meaning Mahomes will likely be under pressure early and often in those games.
Simmons, the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 draft, has started all seven games he’s played in this season. He missed five games in the middle of the season due to personal reasons, but when he’s been on the field, he’s played like anything but a rookie.
Entering Week 13, the 22-year-old tackle played 479 offensive snaps, allowing just 18 pressures, 14 hurries, two QB hits, and two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Simmons has surrendered one fewer sack than backup Jaylon Moore while playing nearly double the amount of snaps.
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