For Kansas City Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons, the butterflies are real. But he insists they won’t define his first NFL start.
“They’re there,” Simmons admitted. “But I think you can cancel those out with preparation, so that’s what I’m about to get ready to do.”
That preparation has been his refrain since arriving in Kansas City. A first-round pick out of Ohio State, Simmons said the culture he left behind in Columbus continues to shape his approach.
“Ohio State helped a lot,” he said. “It
trained me how to be a pro — watching film, being on top of recovery, and asking questions. I’ll ask a defensive lineman, ‘What did you see from me on this play during practice?’ For me, it always comes back to preparation. I know it’s getting annoying, but that’s just kind of what it is.”
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said that college pedigree has translated quickly.
“When you’re playing in front of that many people in big games every week, it makes a difference,” Nagy said. “His O-line coach at Ohio State, Justin Fry, did a heck of a job with him. Now it’s on Josh to take that, make mistakes, and then not make the same mistake twice. He’s been really good with that mindset. Preseason has been great for him.”
Simmons has leaned heavily on Kansas City’s veterans to bridge the gap between practice and game day.
“What I’ve been told is just be prepared,” Simmons said. “They’re a great team — obviously we are too. It’s about putting the preparation in and taking that to Brazil. More about just kind of being a pro and getting on that plane prepared.”
For Simmons, that means keeping it simple when Sunday night arrives in São Paulo.
“First, I want to do my job,” he said. “I want to make sure my teammates can count on me. Then it’s just about technique. If you’re always in the right spot at the right time, it can definitely get you a lot of one-on-one blocks.”
The Chiefs’ opener against the Los Angeles Chargers won’t just be Simmons’ first regular-season game. It will also be played on an international stage in front of more than 40,000 fans at Corinthians Arena.
Nagy said the environment is unlike anything most players — especially rookies — have experienced.
“Every time you play out of the country, there’s this constant buzz in the stadium,” Nagy explained. “It’s not super loud, but it’s not quiet. Until you’re there, you don’t really understand it. We’ll prep with snap counts, cadences, and everything else, but for Josh and the other young guys, the biggest thing is realizing this isn’t preseason. This is the real deal. And then the atmosphere just adds another layer.”
Asked what he hopes to put on film in his first NFL game, Simmons’ answer echoed his measured approach.
“I want to do my job,” he said. “I want my teammates to trust me. That’s it.”
For a 22-year-old tasked with protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside on opening night, that mindset might be exactly what the Chiefs need.
