Chiefs tackle Josh Simmons is studying these NFL veterans’ moves this offseason
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Simmons fractured a wrist three games into his Week 13 return.
- Simmons studied elite tackles and refined footwork, stances and timing.
- Chiefs say Simmons is "good to go" and preparing for the 2026 season.
For Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons, rookie year ended with an injury after just eight starts.
Now he’s preparing for what he hopes to be a longer and improved sophomore campaign.
Simmons started the first five games last fall before missing the next three while he was away from the team for personal reasons. After returning to Kansas City, he fractured a wrist in the Chiefs’ Week 13 game against the Cowboys and missed the rest of the season.
But his 2026 season looks to be a full-go. Before the NFL Draft, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Simmons is “good to go” and was looking forward to his development, along with that of third-year left guard Kingsley Suamataia.
With the help of a recent film session with lineman expert Brandon Thorn, Simmons is working to bring techniques he’s learned to the field.
Thorn is one of the most notable evaluators of NFL offensive-line play. He is also part of OL Masterminds, a company that specializes in developing offensive linemen, in part via an annual training summit.
In that session with Thorn, Simmons proved how he is a student of his craft. Their insightful discussion showed why he was a first-round pick in the first place, despite coming off of a knee injury he’d suffered in college at Ohio State.
Simmons rattled off names of elite NFL tackles he’s studied and whose technique he attempts to borrow, such as Dion Dawkins, Laremy Tunsil and Duane Brown. Simmons pointed out footwork, alignment and stances; Simmons and Thorn broke down some of Simmons’ rookie clips, as well as clips of other top tackles.
Simmons explained the mentality behind his own plays while also soliciting and listening to Thorn’s feedback.
One of the main points of emphasis was acknowledging that the league’s best tackles time their first movements off the snap perfectly.
“It puts you at such an advantage because you’re dictating at that point as opposed to reacting,” Thorn told Simmons.
Tackles the duo watched displayed footwork that put them in prime position to strike the pass-rusher when the opportunity was right.
Simmons noted how he often uses a sprinter’s stance, similar to one employed by Hall of Famer Joe Thomas, against speedy rushers like Denver’s Nik Bonitto. This enables the blocker to stay in front of the pass-rusher.
Simmons also took note of the elite tackles’ patience. They might use different techniques to neutralize defenders, but he marvelled at how each has his own way of controlling the game.
He wants that for himself.
“You can tell he’s just in his own world,” Simmons said of retired Green Bay Packers tackle David Bakhtiari. “That’s just kind of what I feel like O-line is about, just getting in your own world and just spanking something.”
One of the techniques Simmons used during his rookie season is the “V-handle” — a move he learned from former Chiefs lineman Andrew Wylie. Simmons uses his inside right hand to punch, aiming for the V of the defender’s neck while keeping his outside left hand firm to gauge where the rusher is looking to go.
In 2025, Simmons alternated that technique with others, such as the circle punch. The circle punch is when Simmons uses his outside hand to grab the defender’s outside shoulder; he can then use that grip to run the defender into the ground or snatch him down face-first.
The snatch technique can be risky and dangerous, though, as offensive linemen can pull defenders into themselves — and then into the pocket, potentially harming the quarterback. With Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes returning from injury, Simmons is looking to use less of that technique in order to protect his QB.
Instead of the snatch, Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck taught Simmons to counter a power rush with a move called the Hamilton. The Hamilton involves the lifting of a defender’s arm instead of chopping the arm down and making the defender fall face-first.
“It’s shooting their leverage up, which is both stopping the power and his rush at the same time” Simmons said.
Thorn recommended Simmons watch former Chiefs tackle Mitchell Schwartz’s usage of the move.
Simmons is coming into his second year as a pro eager to show off the techniques he’s been developing. He has also been learning from Kansas City veterans in front of him on the depth chart, like Taylor and center Creed Humphrey.
He has flashed his first-round talent and is laying a foundation to be a productive blind-side protector in the NFL. The next step is actually producing the desired effects more consistently. And of course staying healthy and present.
“You have a bigger spoonful of what to expect coming into your second year,” Simmons said. “You’re going into year two with all these tools in your toolbox, and you still have so much to learn.”
