Chiefs place Josh Simmons on IR, raising questions about his entire future in the NFL

The Kansas City Chiefs are placing left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve, the team announced.

But the story runs deeper than a Super Bowl contender losing its starting left tackle for, most likely, the remainder of the season.

On Thursday, Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rich Burkholder told reporters that Simmons reported a leg issue on August 17, which the team determined was related to a bulging disc in his back.

Burkholder said Simmons saw a specialist who recommended therapy instead of surgery.

Simmons has not played a down this season.

He practiced in a limited capacity last week for the first time since reporting the injury to Burkholder.

On Wednesday, the team listed him as a non-participant in practice for "back/non-injury personal reasons." Burkholder said Simmons used the day to speak with his family before deciding it would be best to go on injured reserve.

The designation requires Simmons to miss at least four games.

Put bluntly, skepticism about the Chiefs' version of events is warranted.

In August, reporters close to the team repeatedly reported that the injury was minor and that Simmons would return by Week 1.

He didn't.

The next explanation was that the Chiefs had not placed him on injured reserve because they expected him to play within the first four weeks.

He never did.

So what changed? Burkholder says Simmons "plateaued" in his recovery.