Chiefs coach and quarterback ask lineman to leave team meeting after seating dispute

Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons, who had not played this season and was placed on injured reserve on Thursday, was asked to leave a Wednesday team meeting by head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. According to a report, the exchange began when Simmons sat with his feet up; Reid requested that he put his feet down. Simmons said he was positioned that way because of a back injury, and Reid replied that if he could not sit upright he should seek treatment from the training staff. Mahomes then told Simmons to leave the meeting, and Simmons complied.

Simmons later apologized to Reid and other team leaders. The Chiefs listed his Wednesday injury status as “back/not injury related-personal,” indicating that his absence from practice may have been linked to both his back condition and the earlier dispute. Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder said the personal component reflected time given to Simmons to discuss his situation with family and agents.

Drafted in the first round last year to protect Mahomes’ blind side, Simmons has appeared in eight games and missed 14. He has not practiced since August, and the earliest he could return is the Week 11 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.