KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. He also is our station's digital reporter for Chiefs game days. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Rookie left tackle Josh Simmons is expected to return to the starting lineup for the Kansas City Chiefs in a key AFC West matchup Sunday afternoon at the Denver Broncos.
Simmons, a rookie first-round pick from Ohio State who won the job protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside in training camp, hasn’t played since a Week 5 loss Oct. 6 at Jacksonville on Monday Night Football.
That night, Simmons, who had started the first five games of the season and played 95% of the offensive snaps, was a late addition to the injury report with an undisclosed illness, but he started and played the entire game.
Six days later, as the Chiefs prepared to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, Simmons was a late scratch. He reportedly left Kansas City for his native southern California to attend to a family matter.
The team has kept quiet about the situation, but Simmons returned to the club during the bye week.
Simmons’ status is even more urgent with his backup, Jaylon Moore — a free-agent signing in the offseason from San Francisco, who started the last four games at left tackle — inactive. He was a late addition to the injury report Sunday with an undisclosed illness, the Chiefs announced.
It will be a tough challenge for Simmons against a Broncos defense that leads the NFL with 46 sacks, 14 more than any other NFL team entering the Week 11 matchup.
Kansas City, which has split the season series with Denver the last two years, needs a win Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, or it will no longer control its own fate in the AFC West race.
The Chiefs (5-4) trail the Broncos (8-2) by two games in the loss column, but a sweep of the season series would give coach Andy Reid’s squad the tiebreaker.
Thus, Kansas City, which trails the Los Angeles Chargers by one game in the loss column and faces them again in mid-December, still can win its way to a division title with no other help.
The Chiefs have won the AFC West nine consecutive seasons, which is the second-longest streak in NFL history.
It’s always the No. 1 goal entering a season for Reid, because a division crown ensures at least one home playoff game under the NFL’s postseason format.
Running back Isiah Pacheco, who leads Kansas City with 78 carries and 329 yards rushing this season, will miss his second straight game with a knee injury.
He headlines the Chiefs’ inactives along with cornerback Joshua Williams, whose absence makes way for the offseason free-agent signing Kristian Fulton to suit up for the first time since the second week of the season.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was elevated from the practice squad with Pacheco sidelined for the Week 9 loss at Buffalo, but veteran Kareem Hunt was the feature back in the 28-21 loss with 11 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Wide receiver Jalen Royals, tight end Jared Wiley and backup center Hunter Nourzad are also inactive, which means running back Elijah Mitchell is set for his debut with Kansas City.
Four players who Denver ruled out on the final weekly injury report — All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II (pectoral), tight end Nate Adkins (knee), inside linebacker Alex Singleton (illness) and outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (hamstring) — headline the home side’s inactive list.
Former Chiefs swing tackle Geron Christian and two defensive linemen, Jordan Jackson and Sai’vion Jones, are also inactive.
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