Josh Simmons

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Performance versus salary tier earns Josh Simmons a C+ Contract Value Index, with cap structure shaping the verdict. The rookie deal—$3.67M AAV over four years—represents precisely what you'd expect from a 32nd-overall pick in a pre-salary-explosion era, but the production and health picture complicate the value math considerably. His 2025 season yielded minimal counting stats across eight games, a limited sample that underscores his status as a developmental prospect; pair that with a mysterious four-game absence the organization has declined to explain publicly, and you have a young left tackle whose upside is genuine—media coverage heading into 2026 frames him as a high-ceiling prospect absorbing lessons from established veterans—but whose reliability remains an open question. At 23 with one season under his belt, Simmons sits squarely in the player-development phase where year two typically determines whether first-round draft capital translates into franchise-caliber production or busts lower. The Chiefs' recent offseason focus on defensive additions (safeties, cornerbacks) suggests the organization is addressing immediate competitive need elsewhere, which implicitly signals that Simmons' development timeline, however promising, is secondary to the franchise's urgent playoff window. His Contract Value Index reflects a fair-market rookie deal for a talented but unproven tackle; the grade will pivot upward or downward almost entirely on whether he returns healthy in 2026 and silences the noise through consistent, productive play.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Josh's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Josh Simmons arrives in Kansas City as one of the more intriguing rookie offensive tackles in this draft class, stepping into a high-stakes role protecting Patrick Mahomes. For a first-year player, earning a B-grade performance evaluation is a meaningful early endorsement. Few rookie tackles contribute at this level immediately, making Simmons a genuinely encouraging developmental story. His availability and durability stand out immediately — Simmons has logged a 93.4 snap percentage, well above the NFL average of 72.0. That number signals coaching trust and physical readiness rarely extended to first-year tackles this early. The concern, as with most rookies, remains consistency against elite edge rushers, where developmental growing pains are inevitable and expected. Simmons profiles as a long-term building block at left or right tackle, drawing early comparisons to young developmental linemen who anchor franchises for a decade. Watch his technique refinement and pass-protection grades as the season progresses — those will define his ceiling entering Year Two.

How Josh Compares at the Position

Josh Simmons ranks 29th of 189 graded offensive tackles by performance. That slots Josh between Charles Cross (B) just ahead and Tytus Howard (B-) just behind.

Current Sentiment

How the public sees Josh Simmons shakes out to a C+ sentiment grade in the rolling 14-day window. The narrative around the 23-year-old left tackle has bifurcated sharply: media coverage leading into the 2026 season frames him as a high-ceiling developmental prospect doing everything right—actively studying established veterans, absorbing lessons from All-Pro center Creed Humphrey, and earning genuine fanbase buzz for an impressive offseason physical transformation—yet this optimism is immediately complicated by a mysterious four-game absence the Chiefs have declined to explain publicly, an information vacuum that's fueling sustained negative speculation about his reliability and standing within the organization. The disconnect between his genuine B-level on-field production and the growing uncertainty around his off-field circumstances has created a precarious perception: talented enough to believe in, but unreliable enough to question. The Chiefs' recent roster activity—signing safeties and cornerbacks while resisting trade noise around premium assets—suggests organizational focus elsewhere, which implicitly undercuts Simmons' centrality to the team's 2026 window despite his first-round pedigree. Heading into the season with the Chiefs sitting at 6-11 and needing immediate defensive help, Simmons' perception hinges entirely on whether he can return to the field and silence the noise through performance; right now, he's a prospect in limbo between genuine promise and mounting credibility questions.