The Los Angeles Chargers’ pass rush will have its hands full in the coming years — and they might want to circle two games on the calendar. That’s because the Kansas City Chiefs may have found their next cornerstone left tackle in rookie Josh Simmons, and if early praise is any indication, he could be a game-changer in the AFC West.
Simmons, the final pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has yet to take a professional snap. But that hasn’t stopped league veterans — including the Kelce brothers — from throwing around some massive comparisons.
Chargers Must Brace for Chiefs’ Potential Star LT Josh Simmons Twice a Year
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“I’ve watched a lot of these linemen coming out the last few years,” Jason Kelce said on the New Heights podcast. “This kid, I mean, he is the closest thing I’ve seen to like a Trent Williams — like that next level strength and athleticism. The only reason he fell to you guys is because of that injury.”
That injury — a knee issue which ended Simmons’ final season at Ohio State — may have scared some teams off, but the Chiefs appear confident in his trajectory. Despite being limited during offseason work, Simmons has already turned heads, even playing scout team defensive end and earning a vote of respect from tight end Travis Kelce, who said, “I gotta come with it” after Simmons laid hands on him in practice.
For the Chargers, who are still rebuilding a defense to counter Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ high-octane offense, Simmons’ development looms large. If he lives up to the Trent Williams billing, he won’t just stabilize a problem spot for Kansas City — he could become the kind of long-term menace that reshapes division matchups.
Twice a year, the Chargers could be dealing with that reality.
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